Match #11 - Germany v. Japan

The Germans are so overrated

 

1- That's a big difference. It is presumably the difference in class, quality and skill of your forwards. England had a total of 13 shots (compared to 8 for Iran) with 7 shots on goal (6 of them goals!). They humiliated Iran. Germany couldn't even score from the run of play despite twice as many attempts and ended up losing.
2- It may have seemed "impossible" to you but seemed predictable (50/50) after the first half to me.

 

It's not that they're overrated, per se, but that they aren't producing world-class talent like they used to.

All their great teams of the 70's/80's/90's were anchored by all-time greats like Beckenbauer and Matthaus. And they had great strikers as well (Muller, Klinsmann, etc.).

But now they just aren't producing the talent.....the only player on the current team anywhere close to world-class is Muller, who's well past his best. Haavertz & Werner torpedoed their own development with ill-timed moves to Chelsea. Musiala may/may not develop into a world-class player.

But overall the post-2014 generation is the least talented German generation since before Beckenbauer.

 

Since you are so intransigent about "gameplans:" a team's manager is responsible for making lineup alterations during the course of a match.

Germany was threatening Japan's net via the left corridor, as several plays - including the one that led to the PK and to Germany's goal - came from Germany's left side, with left-back David Raum and midfielder Jamal Musala (who was playing on the left side of the German midfield).

Japan's manager, Hajime Moriyasu, evidently noticed and at halftime, he changed Japan's lineup: he took out Takefusa Kubo and sent in Takehiro Tomiyasu, whose function on the pitch became that of a third full-back. Right-back Hiroki Sakai was then able to play higher up in midfield; ditto with left-back Yuto Nagatomo. Soon afterwards, Kauro Mitoma and Takuma Asano replaced Nagatomo and Daizen Maeda.

All this made Japan a more offensive team and removed any spaces Germany could exploit on the left side to attack Japan.

These changes turned the tide in Japan's favor. Coach Moriyasu noticed his decisions had worked and sent in Ritsu Doan and Takumi Minamino - offensive players. These two, plus Mitoma, were all involved in the equalizer: Minamino received a pass from Mitoma, kicked a cross shot; Neuer blocked it, but Doan kicked in the rebound.

Your team's manager only made alterations after its opponent was winning. And if the offside trap is not a "gameplan," then couldn't your manager instruct your players to somehow break it? As someone who was playing himself until not very long ago, didn't he know something about offside traps?

You don't want to give Japan credit because apparently Japan's victory over Germany only highlights the upset that was Saudi Arabia's victory over Argentina. But the facts are that the Saudis yesterday and the Japanese today both earned their wins by playing good soccer and by outplaying their opponents.

Anyway, enough with other teams. Japan beat Germany soundly and good for the Japanese team and its fans.

 

I prayed for Japan to win this game. I thank God for having offered this victory because it is only thanks to him that this miracle could have taken place! It shows that we must always rely on God in all situations.

 

Moriyasu wasn't presented as a man willing to implement drastic changes. But he did. A back 3 system broke the German stranglehold on possession, and Japan could use their stamina and pace for offensive runs.

Delighted with the result- a proper Japanese win- persistence until the end.

 

Offside trap as a persistent strategy during a match was effective 30 years ago, not today. Any modern elite forward line with sufficent speed and technique should beat it. Argentinian players were just lazy/distracted or made passes with the wrong timing so they kept falling for it. There's not a lot the coach can tell them other than to pay attention, which they evidently didn't do.

If the saudis try that again against a top opponent (say France) they could suffer a lot if the opponent has focused players.

 

Not today? It was effective yesterday.

And as for "gameplan," as I wrote, the Japanese coach had one and it worked. Your team's manager deployed players who were not 100%. Your team's manager did not select a 9 for the final roster, an offensive player to make a difference in the box; and, your team lost in the aerial game with every cross into the box. Your team's manager, finally, had no answer for the offside trap.

Gameplan, gameplan, gameplan. Face it: Japan had one, Germany didn't, just as your team didn't have one while Saudi Arabia did. This is why both matches ended with victories for the teams with gameplans.

 

Yes, because our team was awful.
Any serious team (evidently ARG isn't one for now) should deal with that after the 2nd offside and not fall for it 10 freaking times.

 

And that's because your team had no.........................................................................




.... "gameplan."

 

Germany's World Cup is over for sure.

 

Unless they somehow overcome thier recent boogeyman in Spain.

 

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/random-world-cup-facts.2121431/page-4#post-40965499

 

Umm…I’m trying to figure out the point we’re trying to make but I’m at a loss. You do realize that the Mexico and South Korea games you posted were posses for Germany correct? That Germany literally has lost 3 of their last 4 World Cup games…including going 0-3 against AFC and Concacaf?

 

I read the initial post incorrectly.

 

And “posses” didn’t trip you up?

 

Cheer up GER, you can still will the WC... ESP lost its 1st match too, before becoming WC champs in 2010.

What's that? ESP manhandled CRC 7-0 a few hours ago?

Umm... well, take comfort in having participated in the best WC evah!

 

"Germany has lost 3 of its last 4 WC games" I didn't read 3 out of four. I thought they just said 4.

 

I'm OK with it. In my life I have seen Germany lift the Cup twice.

 

Hats off to the Japan coach. He did not call up Kyogo and Hatate from Celtic. And played aggressive football, even after conceding the first goal.

 

Are they bad?

 

yeah they're just in a transitionary period. Might take them some time to figure things out and more players come through.

 

I think it's more than that...they need to figure out how to develop more world-class players.

There are probably 10-12 teams at this World Cup whose rosters are either just as talented or more talented than Germany right now.

 

I thought Germany threw the game in protest of Beckenbauer taking a big pay day to get the cup to Qatar. That makes more sense to me.