Germany and Japan collide, and the "Group of Death" appears
The Qatar World Cup will usher in four matches in Group E and Group F on the 23rd, of which the "Death Group" of Germany, Spain, Japan and Costa Rica will appear.
Germany vs Japan
Although Germany has a deep football tradition and illustrious history: four World Cup winners, eight finalists, 20 finalists, and two hosts, after the 2018 World Cup suffered the "reigning champion curse", its strength has not been upgraded to the level of a star team.
From the perspective of the lineup, the German team's back line is relatively solid, and the midfield is stockpiling a large number of homogeneous talents, but lacks a fatal center. On the 22nd, the German team announced that winger Sane could not participate in the match against Japan due to a knee injury, which was undoubtedly a very unfavorable signal for the German team. Whether to let Gnabry play on the wing, or Musiala or Gotze, test coach Flick's use of personnel and formation wisdom.
Germany coach Flick before a match on November 16. On the same day, in a friendly football match in Muscat, Oman, Germany won 1-0 against Oman.
Japan's "European team" is the envy of many Asian teams, but they are still challengers against Germany. This is Japan's seventh consecutive World Cup appearance since it first qualified for the World Cup finals in 1998. The average age of the 26 players in the Japanese team is about 28 years old, which is exactly the year of the fight.
Although the Japanese team has continued to report player injuries since the squad was announced, coach Morihoichi said at a press conference on the 22nd that the goal of the Japanese team to break into the quarterfinals and rewrite history has not changed. Daichi Kamata, who plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, vowed before the game to win against Germany, hoping for three goals.
Spain vs Costa Rica
Spain, the 2010 World Cup winners, are playing in the World Cup for the 16th time but are experiencing transformation pains in recent years. At last year's European Championships, the "Matador Legion" reached the semi-finals and lost to the eventual champions Italy on penalties, and it is interesting to see if they can regain their strength in this World Cup.
The team led by head coach Luis Enrique is young and energetic: "00s" Ferran Torres has become the core of the team's attack; 19-year-old Pedri has excellent personal abilities; Garvey is only 18 years old... Costa Rica is considered the weakest team in the group in the opening match, with Spain aiming for three points.
Spanish starters pose for a group photo before a match on November 17. On the same day, in a friendly football match held in Amman, Jordan, Spain defeated Jordan 3:1. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Mohammed Abu-Gush)
From the perspective of the lineup, the Costa Rican team led by coach Luis Suarez shows that although Brazil's World Cup heroes Navas, Ruiz, Borges, Campbell, etc. are still listed, they are all over 30 years old, and more than ten people in the 26-man roster are over 30 years old. The new generation of players can be overwhelmed. Bennett, an 18-year-old left-winger who plays for Sunderland in the Championship, could be a surprise. He scored two goals in the World Cup warm-up match against South Korea. But in the first game against Spain, they must be prepared for difficulties.
Morocco vs Croatia
Morocco faces a difficult situation in Group F. In their first match, they face the 2018 World Cup runners-up and experienced Croatia. The two teams had only met once before in the 90s of the 20th century. Whether Belgium or Canada in this group, it will be no easy task to score points on the "Plaid Legion".
Morocco reached the World Cup finals for the sixth time in its history, with 16 World Cup games and a record of 2 wins, 5 draws and 9 defeats. They failed to qualify from the group stage at the last World Cup. Croatia has participated for the sixth time since finishing third in the World Cup for the first time in 1998.
Croatian Modric celebrates a goal for Real Madrid on November 7. On the same day, in the 13th round of the 2022-2023 Spanish Primera División season, Real Madrid lost 2-3 away to Rayo Vallecano. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Gustavo Baliente)
Morocco manager Walid Regraj has recruited Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech. In the World Cup warm-up match against Georgia, Ziyech scored a brilliant goal. In addition, the African team has a group of strong players, such as Agde at West Ham United and Ashraf at Paris Saint-Germain. Croatia coach Dalic led the team in the star-studded, captain Modric, Perisic, Kovacic and so on, the strength can not be underestimated.
Belgium vs Canada
The Belgian team led by coach Martinez has mature tactics, a stable lineup and tacit cooperation, but the aging core squad is a problem that the "golden generation" has to face. As the runner-up of the 2018 World Cup, Belgium is reaching the World Cup finals for the 14th time and third in a row, and is unbeaten in its last 12 World Cup group games.
Belgium's Eden Hazard at a press conference on November 14. On the same day, the Belgian team held a press conference to introduce the preparation for the World Cup in Qatar. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong
However, striker Romelu Lukaku has suffered repeated injuries and availability in the group stage is still unknown. Eden Hazard's form slipped and he lost Real Madrid's regular position. Many of the main players are close to or even more than 35 years old. The overall age will undoubtedly bring a lot of hidden dangers to the Belgian team. Belgium's less stable backline is also a concern. With the retirement of veteran captain Vincent Kompany, the two main centre-backs are now 35 and 33 years old respectively.
The Canadian team led by the Englishman Herderman has greatly improved its strength than before, and the "Maple Leaf Army" has once again appeared on the World Cup stage after 36 years. Although most of the players in the Canadian team have no experience in playing in the five major European leagues except for new stars such as Jonathan David and Alfonso Davis, riding the east wind of preparing for the 2026 US-Canada-Mexico World Cup, the "Maple Leaf Army" of "Little Ghosts" is looking forward to setting off a "youth storm" in Qatar.
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Author: Liu Yang
Executive Producer: Jiang Chen
Editors: Wu Yue, Qing Shan
Internship: He Lingxiao
Expect!