4 DAYS TO GO
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Joachim Loew’s boys, who were unbeaten in qualifying round, can cruise through the league phase with minimum fuss
In our 30-day countdown to the World Cup in HT Sport, we have analysed Group F featuring Germany, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea.
Their second string won the FIFA Confederations Cup last year, their 23-man squad is brimming with talent, their coach is one of the most coveted in European football. Oh! And they are the defending FIFA World Cup champions. That’s Germany for you, a team that dished out a 7-1 mauling to five-time champions Brazil in their own backyard during the 2014 World Cup. And to think this team now is better, younger than the team that lifted the trophy in Rio de Janeiro is a scary thought.
Germany cruised through the qualifying campaign, winning all the 10 matches, scoring 43 goals in the process and conceding just four.
The squad Joachim Loew has at his disposal has all bases covered, from back to front. Manuel Neuer, although coming back from injury, is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world.
You will have to travel a long way to find a more complete midfielder than Toni Kroos. Although he has his critics at club level, but Mesut Ozil is the guy who makes it happen for Die Mannschaft. Thomas Muller has won the Golden and Silver Boot at the last two World Cups, scoring 10 goals in 13 matches. At 28, he should be at the peak of his abilities. While Germany are expected to win all three of their group matches, the others will not be going down without a fight.
Sweden, a team that gave France a run for their money in Group A of the World Cup qualifying and beat four-time champions Italy in a two-legged playoff tie without conceding a goal, can never be taken lightly. Coach Janne Andersson is likely to stick with the tried and tested 4-4-2 formation which is likely to frustrate opposition. Emil Forsberg of RB Leipzig is likely to be the key to how they go along with a mean defence featuring Victor Lindelof of Manchester United.
Mexico, third team in Group F, have a couple of star names, but bulk of their squad is made up of hard working players. Javier Hernandez is El Tri’s leading scorer and the team will bank on his abilities. Coach Juan Carlos Osorio’s tactical nous will be a big plus. It is likely to be the tactician’s last tournament and no doubt he would want to go out on a high.
Despite being one of the top guns in Asia, South Korea are the weakest team in Group F. The team will have to rely on collective effort to get past the group stages.