.png)
1 hour ago
2
Key events
Jonathan Liew
“No, please, stop with this nonsense,” snapped Julian Nagelsmann. Germany had just lost 2-1 to Ecuador in their final group game and the television interviewer was suggesting that with Germany already qualified, perhaps the Ecuadoreans had simply wanted it more. “They didn’t want it more,” Nagelsmann bristled. “I cannot tell any of my players that they didn’t give it their all. That’s far too simplistic.”
If that was the line, then fair enough. Albeit, a line Nagelsmann may have wanted to run past his players before they did their post-match media duties. “The difference today was that the opponent wanted to win more than us,” said Joshua Kimmich. “I had the feeling they wanted it more than us,” said the substitute Deniz Undav.
A minor disagreement, on the face of things. And yet also quietly emblematic of this Germany team at the moment, on and off the pitch: a team operating on multiple planes, a little lost in translation, a little lacking in message discipline. If they can get their constituent parts working in harmony, they can be a genuine threat. Until then, it remains hard to take them seriously.
Let’s turn our attention to Germany. Jonathan Liew content incoming.
Imminent World Cup fixtures
Brazil v Japan (1pm EST, 6pm BST)
Germany v Paraguay: (4.30pm EST, 9.30pm BST)
Netherlands v Morocco (9pm EST, 2am Tue BST)
Who could offer valuable insight into Carlo Ancelotti’s methods, before Brazil v Japan?
Rodrygo, that’s who:
Nick Ames
“Morocco were welcomed enthusiastically in Mexico’s north-east and their head coach was quick to compare the hosts’ passion for football with the fervour that engulfs his own country.
“In fact, the hand of friendship between the nations reaches back four decades. Morocco drew with Poland and England in Monterrey during Mexico 1986, when they made history by reaching the knock-out stage.”
And in ‘Let’s get jazzed up about Netherlands v Morocco’ news …
Meanwhile, in ‘Let’s get jazzed up about Brazil v Japan’ news:
something tells me the Japan Brazil game is going to be greatest game of the World Cup so far.
there is going to be tremendous carnivalesque fan-energy in the stadium that you could bottle and sell on Amazon for 5000 yen a 330ml unit. and some individual brilliance by a handful of Brazilian players are going to give us some goals that will look more like athletics where the ball is an acrobat. but i think Japan will tikka-takka weave the ball around their decluttered player-grid and equalize twice with pointed shots just inside and outside the box for this reason i’m going to get to the supermarket shortly to buy a bottle of Korean soju and a six-pack of Guinness
People love to hate commentators, in general, so it’s refreshing to see good work being recognised and praised:
Fantastic BBC Radio coverage last night, from Vicki Sparks and Dion Dublin. How to commentate on an important game that, actually, wasn't a very good match? Be as entertaining, as honest, as smart and as funny with your words over the lack of action on the pitch.
(And while we’re on the subject, for all the haterz: until you’ve actually picked up a mic and tried to commentate on a football match, or any other sport, you are hardly in a position to criticise.)
If you would like to email thoughts about any of this, please do so here.
Let’s begin with everyone’s favourite subject: His Majesty’s England football team.
Andrew Beasley takes a look at the data on the Jude Bellingham x Harry Kane collaboration for England:
Preamble
Canada are the first team into the last 16:
And in a little over nine hours, Brazil v Japan will go toe-to-toe in Houston, as the mouthwatering-ness of the knockout ties increases further.
Let’s talk about the World Cup.
