Its like watching the 2008 Euro Final and the 2010 WC Semi Final.
Gavi, Pedri, Rodri, Ferran Torres. Like Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Iniesta, Fernando Torres a decade and a half ago.
Man, both keepers with terrible turnovers. Torres should have done better with that I think, but nice recovery to block the shot by Raum.
Neuer’s passing has been terrible. Nervy.
Spain playing out of the back gives me anxiety. I can’t imagine Matt Turner and Walker Zimmerman trying that.
Spain getting in behind Germany through Olmo. Torres again slow on the release. Barcelona overpaid so much for him.
ffs ffs
Was that offsides? Is that why Germany’s goal was taken back?
Affirmative.
Musiala has really filled out the last two years… it’s so much harder to muscle him off the ball now.
That was a well worked goal by Spain.
Should have been a second. Asensio should be able to put that on net every time.
I kinda feel Spain’s attacking players are pretty marginal. Not sure why Ansu Fati doesn’t get more time.
Sané in his own head again. Still, I’m very happy with the draw.
The Costa Rican win over Japan changed everything in this group. It took a lot of pressure off the German’s backs to have to win at any cost. But I have nagging flashbacks to Russia 2018 when we also started with a defeat (to Mexico) and scored in the last minute against Sweden, only to fuck it up and lose in the last game to South Korea. I hope this doesn’t happen again in the Costa Rica game.
Now, however, Germany must beat Costa Rica to have a chance to advance. Should Spain beat Japan, along with a Germany win, Germany will advance. But if Spain and Japan play to a draw, with a German win, then it comes down to goal differential.
If Spain and Japan draw, Germany must win with a margin of two goals. If they win by a margin of at least eight goals, they are through in any case, but that is delusional.
It’s possible, but I really hope it doesn’t happen, at least not the 0-0 ties we’ve been seeing. The US would be out either way, so if the coach decides on a conservative strategy to avoid a loss, that would be extremely poor coaching. 2-2 or 3-3 would be acceptable, I’d even be ok with 1-1, even though such a result still means we go home, but not 0-0. I’d be in favor of firing the coach if the result is 0-0.
I’m American, but I’d almost rather England and Wales go through at this point. I’m indifferent between the three of them, anyway.
Does Korea have a chance to go through? That’s my fourth team to root for and only one not in the same group.
You’ll know a lot more after their 2nd game tomorrow vs. Ghana. But yes, they certainly do at this moment.
I feel like that’s how they won last time. There were a bunch of heavyweight could-win-it teams coming in, and they basically all fell apart in the group stage or early in the elimination rounds, except for France, who played like a favorite the whole way through. (As you’ll recall, they ended up facing not Brazil, or Germany, or Italy, or Spain, but… Croatia in the finals.)
That said, has Brazil faltered so far this WC?
wow has anyone seen pics of the Belgium riot? i never thought that could /would happen there … i mean Spain brazil the UK the US sure but Belgium ?
I’ve tried in vain to find more details on the riots but it’s all pretty boilerplate so far: “…beloved team loses big game. Fans mad. Fans smash.”
But I wondering—is this about average Belgian supporters being furious their team lost? Or is it more about Moroccan-Belgians celebrating because Morocco won? Or is it both, fueled by poor relations between Moroccan-Belgians and other-Belgians (certain whites, mainly)?
ETA: Now I see this reported:
Meanwhile, Dutch riot police carried out baton charges in three cities to disperse unruly Moroccan football supporters celebrating their team’s victory.Police took action in Rotterdam, where some 500 people gathered near the city centre, as well as in The Hague, Amsterdam and Utrecht, Dutch police tweeted.
This is Holland, not Belgium, but it hints at a possibility that celebration by Moroccan-Belgians was a factor in the riots there.
ETA-- and now this:
The Flemish far-right party Vlaams Belang seized on the altercations to further its nationalist, anti-immigration and anti-Islam agenda. The party’s Chairman Tom Van Grieken said Belgians with Moroccan heritage are “free to leave” the country.
So yeah. I’m becoming more clear on what these riots are about. Sad.