WC 2018 Group F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea

Discussion in 'GROUP F: Germany, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea' started by Jtsmith1, Dec 1, 2017.

  1. HansWorldCup

    HansWorldCup Member

    Roma
    Sweden
    Jan 10, 2018
    #51 HansWorldCup, Feb 1, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2018
    Xlophone, what players do you want to start against South Korea?
    That eleven you have on that picture?
    About Zlatan, yes, i agree, win win if he is a sub player. I dont think he gonna join to russia.

    haha Super Guidetti :)

    my eleven
    Olsen
    Augustinsson, Granqvist, Lindelöf, Lustig
    Forsberg, Ekdal, i think i want Larsson here, a defend role, Durmaz
    Guidetti, Berg or Isaac Thelin.

    I dont want Toivonen, he is only on the bench too.
    And if we need to defend like we did against ITALY :) :) Claesson take Durmaz place.
    I could explain with more details if i was better at english :)

    If Ekdal is injured and cant play, hmm i dont want Gustav Svensson to play instead, i hope Jacob Johansson is back, or maybe Hiljemark but different players. i want a diamond, like forsberg and durmaz on the left and right side, and Larsson close to the defenders and Ekdal close to the forwards. Bah my english.
     
  2. Thezzaruz

    Thezzaruz Member+

    Jun 20, 2011
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Sweden
    Barring injuries what he posted looks good. It's mainly a question about how much of a defensive focus you want. You can move Larsson out on the right and have someone else with a defensive profile at CM, or Johansson if he manages to get back (unlikely I think).



    If Zlatan would accept such a role then I wouldn't mind having him in Russia but I just can't see it unfortunately.
     
  3. Hayaka

    Hayaka Member+

    Jun 21, 2009
    San Francisco North Bay, Bel Marin Keys
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
    Thanks for the long answer, Xylophone. Personally, if I were Swedish I wouldn't want Zlatan anywhere near the Swedish team. If he gets called and doesn't play, he will sulk, and likely be a disruptive force in the dressing room. And if he does play, even in a super-sub role, the team might revert to what happened before, with the rest of the team feeding him to the detriment of other attacking options, or even worse just standing around, waiting for him to make something happen. Zlatan is a great player, but doesn't really fit well in the Swedish national team, and perhaps never did, as the results over the last 15 years seem to indicate.
     
  4. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Member+

    Aug 18, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    Iran
    I have heard that Sweden does worse with Zlatan than without him, but unless he brings more headaches in the locker room than he would be worth, I believe having Zlatan as a supersub could actually be helpful to Sweden. In that sense, Xylophone has the best idea about what to do with him, but it isn't clear (a) the idea would sit well with the rest of the Swedish team that had to labor to qualify to the World Cup and (b) with Zlatan, who might be too accustomed being the center of everything for Sweden.
     
  5. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Member+

    Aug 18, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    Iran
    In my rankings, I see the teams in this group as follows:

    1- Germany (A)
    2- Sweden (B+)
    2- Mexico (B+)
    4- South Korea (B-)

    As I explained elsewhere, in general, when all other things are equal, one should expect a team I have graded a full letter grade above its opponents to win something like 8-1-1 (80% win, 10% draw, 10% loss). The chance when the difference is less than full letter grade but 2/3 (e.g., B+ v B-) would be something like 6-3-1 and when just 1/3 (B v B-) would be around 5-3-2.
     
  6. Xylophone

    Xylophone Member

    Fiorentina
    Jan 30, 2018
    #56 Xylophone, Feb 3, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2018
    If I were the Swedish coach, I would go with the players in the lineup picture with one single exception. Ironically, it is the position which is the least likely to have any changes so close to the tournament. I personally think that Karl-Johan Johnsson is the best goalkeeper in Sweden, and would have him instead of Robin Olsen. The second forward spot is tricky. The thing is, Sweden has only won their opening games twice in their World Cup history. The last time that happened was in 1958, as you can see in the chart below.

    Since South Korea is the opponent which we have no choice but to beat in order to have a chance at advancing, the pressure will be immense. While Toivonen is doing terribly in Toulouse at the moment, the international tournament experience he brings to the table should give him the starting spot, at least in the beginning. That said, any of our forwards could outcompete Toivonen if they perform well enough in the coming 3 months. That's how open the second forward spot is.

    [​IMG]

    Looking at our World Cup history, success tends to come in waves. The 50s was good (altough the post-war era gave us some advantages), 60s was terrible, 70s was okay, 80s returned to the 60s mediocrity, 90s was a mixed bag but the bronze medal compensated for 1990 & 1998. The 00s was similar to the 70s in terms of results, while the 10s has been disappointing thus far.

    Edit: While making this, I realized how strange the format was for the 1950 World Cup. They didn't play any knock-out games, but they made it to top 4, so the results are listed under the "Semi" column.
     
  7. HansWorldCup

    HansWorldCup Member

    Roma
    Sweden
    Jan 10, 2018
    We have been in 11 world cup, that is pretty good for a small country like us. So we maybe are a more "classic world cup team" than USA, Chile, Ghana etc,

    So if go after history, we gonna do good result in Russia?
    OK so you want Toivonen ? I know him and Berg are good together.
    Isaac Thelin leading with most goals in the Belgium League.
    I think if Guidetti continue like he is playing now, i want him and Isaac. (if Isaac contiue to score goals)

    Karl Johan Johansson, oki oki, havent seen him playing.
     
  8. HansWorldCup

    HansWorldCup Member

    Roma
    Sweden
    Jan 10, 2018
    So if i understand your ranking right we (sweden) and Mexico are close to A- ?
     
  9. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Member+

    Aug 18, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    Iran
    Well, a B+ means you are as close to A- as you are to B:)
     
  10. HansWorldCup

    HansWorldCup Member

    Roma
    Sweden
    Jan 10, 2018
    hahah yea true true, forgot that haha
     
  11. Edwardinho

    Edwardinho Member

    Barcelona
    France
    Feb 11, 2018
    I rate Sweden above Mexico.
     
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  12. HansWorldCup

    HansWorldCup Member

    Roma
    Sweden
    Jan 10, 2018
    We dont have no big stars anymore except maybe Emil Forsberg but as a team we are great.
    We performed two great matches against your team!
     
  13. HomietheClown

    HomietheClown Member+

    Dusselheim FC 1971
    Sep 4, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
  14. Hayaka

    Hayaka Member+

    Jun 21, 2009
    San Francisco North Bay, Bel Marin Keys
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Denmark
  15. It's called FOOTBALL

    LMX Clubs
    Mexico
    May 4, 2009
    Chitown
    We will see in June. I'd place them at even odds to advance. Maybe 1-1 for both.

    Can't handicap Germany, tho, they're a sure thing.
     
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  16. HomietheClown

    HomietheClown Member+

    Dusselheim FC 1971
    Sep 4, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
    The only reason I would rate Sweden over Mexico is because they are more battle tested in the last couple years.
    The best teams Sweden has faced this cycle are France, Holland and Italy and they have stood their ground against each.

    The best teams Mexico has faced like Germany and Chile have basically throttled them. Although they did beat Uruguay and tied Portugal during this cycle too which is not bad at all.

    I say they are pretty close and would not be shocked if a draw happens when they play.
     
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  17. HomietheClown

    HomietheClown Member+

    Dusselheim FC 1971
    Sep 4, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
    Check that, Mexico tied Portugal.
     
  18. HansWorldCup

    HansWorldCup Member

    Roma
    Sweden
    Jan 10, 2018
    Lets say Mexico advance and get Brazil, can they have chance against Brazil ?
     
  19. Philip J. Fry

    Philip J. Fry Member+

    Mexico
    Jun 12, 2013
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    As a Mexican... I'd say no.
     
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  20. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    No. Mexico has a tradition of performing well against Brazil. The clashes between these two sides are always hard-fought and tight like in 2014 (0:0 draw in the group stage). But I have a feeling Brazil wouldn't have much trouble with Mexico this time if they are about to face each other.
     
  21. Paul Calixte

    Paul Calixte Moderator
    Staff Member

    Orlando City SC
    Apr 30, 2009
    Miami, FL
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'd see a redux of Mexico-Argentina in '06: Mexico play out their skins, only to be ultimately undone by a moment of sheer world-class brilliance.
     
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  22. Philip J. Fry

    Philip J. Fry Member+

    Mexico
    Jun 12, 2013
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    Does Osorio has what it takes to outcoach Tite the same way Lavolpe outcoached Pekerman in '06, though? I seriously doubt it.
     
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  23. HomietheClown

    HomietheClown Member+

    Dusselheim FC 1971
    Sep 4, 2010
    Club:
    --other--
    Mexico has always been the stone in Brazil's shoes.
    I could see Osorio playing for a 0-0 and somehow advancing on penalties!

    But then he would do an Osorio type of epic fail thing and make too many changes and lose the very next game to Poland / Belgium or whoever.
     
  24. Philip J. Fry

    Philip J. Fry Member+

    Mexico
    Jun 12, 2013
    Club:
    Borussia Dortmund
    I honestly think this Brazil is too good and Mexico too vulnerable in the back to be able to force penalties. We would probably need an Ochoa even better than '14 which let's face it, It's too much to ask of anyone..
     
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  25. ManuelRacing95

    Racing Club
    Argentina
    Mar 5, 2018
    Honestly I imagine Mexico being completely destroyed against Brazil just as they were trashed against Germany or Chile in the last few years.
    They just don't have the world class and don't have a coach that can outsmart Tite to level things tactically.
    In fact Ossorio is an expert beating teams that are below or at their same level but has been completely trashed against superpowers and has underperformed.
    It is the opposite from other Mexico teams I remember, which suffered a lot qualifying but against superpowers like Argentina, Brazil, Netherlands they played the match of their lives even if they lost in the end.
    With Ossorio they've qualified easily and won lot of matches but the few times they faces a very superior team they have been humiliated.

    I believe they had the chance to make history eliminating Netherlands last World Cup, it was their closest opportunity and they threw it away in the last 5 minutes.
    Incredible.

    In this World Cup I don't expect them being close to reaching quarter finals.
     

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