SWEDEN’S DEFIANT RACISM MESSAGE
Mexico Germany Sweden S Korea MESUT OZIL is sweating on a place in the final group game as Joachim Loew tries to save Germany’s World Cup.
The Arsenal midfielder was axed after a limp performance in the defending champions’ opening defeat by Mexico.
He was left on the bench as Toni Kroos rescued their tournament with a sensational stoppage-time strike to devastate Sweden.
But Loew has lost Sebastian Rudy (circle) with a broken nose, so badly damaged that doctors will not let the Bayern Munich midfielder be risked against South Korea today.
Now the Germany boss is weighing up whether to give Ozil a second chance. Loew said: “After the Sweden game, P W D L GD Pts 22 0 0 2 6 2 1 0 1 0 3 2 1 0 1 0 3 2 0 0 2 -2 0
Mesut (above) showed a very good reaction in training, so we will see. Rudy can’t play because his nose was broken in so many places he needs a few more days to be clear.
“We need to have a will to win this match and I have other players, like Sami Khedira, who have also shown a good reaction to not playing.
“All the players are an option. We have 18 available and have to look at training and the condition of all of
SOUTH KOREA:
Jo Hyeonwoo, Lee Yong, Kim Younggwon, Jang Hyunsoo, Hong Chul, Hwang Heechan, Koo Jacheol, Jeong Wooyoung, Lee Seungwoo, Lee Jaesung, Son Heung Min
Neuer, Kimmich, Sule, Hummels, Hector, Gundogan, Kroos, Muller, Reus, Werner, Gomez.
GERMANY:
them before I make my assessment, as coach, on who to bring into the team.
“There are a number of criteria I will look at before I decide the line-up.”
Germany have centre-back Mats Hummels fit again and he is expected to replace his suspended Bayern team-mate Jerome Boateng.
South Korea coach Shin Tae-yong and Tottenham striker Son Heung-min both gave their team a “one per cent” chance of beating Germany.
But Loew added: “We have had relief and euphoria, but that victory against Sweden represents a small step on the path to the last 16 and now we must beat South Korea.
“When you have a victory at the World Cup, the joy doesn’t last too long because you have another game. But what happened was a pivotal moment.” SWEDEN are fired up to beat Mexico and reach the last 16 after backing winger Jimmy Durmaz against racist abuse.
The entire squad threw their weight behind the wide man (below with Seb Larsson) in a training-ground video after he was targeted for giving away the free-kick that led to Toni Kroos’s 95th-minute goal for Germany last weekend.
Durmaz, whose parents emigrated from Turkey, has received death threats and racial abuse.
Coach Janne Andersson said: “We are coming into this game expecting to perform at the top level. We have everything to gain and we are mentally strong.
“We showed that we were able to match the defending champions with the exception of the final few minutes.”
Sweden can qualify with a victory or a draw if Germany lose to South Korea. If Sweden and Germany both win, Andersson’s team could advance on goal difference.
But the 55-year-old knows how tough Mexico, who have already beaten Germany and South Korea, will be.
“They are a good team and we have great respect for them,” Andersson added.
“They have a lot of skilled players in the team and are technically gifted. But we’re well prepared.”
Ochoa, Alvarez, Salcedo, Moreno, Gallardo, Herrera, Guardado, Layun, Vela, Lozano, Hernandez
Olsen, Lustig, Lindelof, Granqvist, Augustinsson, Claesson, Larsson, Ekdal, Forsberg, Toivonen, Berg