Spain and Germany tied the scores 1-1 in the top match of the World Cup on Sunday. Alvaro Morata gave Spain a 1–0 lead when there were 62 minutes on the clock. Germany had shockingly lost the opening match to Japan, so a defeat would have put the team in a really tight spot. Niclas Füllkrug however, fired a cannon to Germany’s level in the 83rd minute.
This made Germany’s situation a little easier, but a victory in the final game of the first group against Costa Rica is still required for the next place. Even that may not be enough. Now second in the group, Japan will face Spain in the final round. If Japan beat Spain, Germany would automatically be out.
This is how the next place is decided
The situation in the group is so complicated that it is possible to start looking at the order of superiority in tied points. If two or more teams are tied after the end of the initial group stage, the rankings are determined by the following criteria:
1. Goal difference in all matches
2. Goals scored in all matches
3. Number of points in mutual matches
4. Goal difference in mutual matches
5. Goals scored in mutual matches
6. A minimum of warnings and red cards
7. Lottery
Germany’s problems run deep
‘s experts saw Germany’s performance on Sunday as good against Spain, one of the early favorites of the Games. However, with the loss to Japan, Germany’s start to the World Cup has been the worst ever since 1938, when the team last started the World Cup tournament with a draw and a loss.
The start pales in comparison to the games of four years ago, which ended with a loss to South Korea and a catastrophic fall in the World Cup. Four years ago, however, the second game became a victory.
‘s experts Juho Rantala and Marianne Miettinen however, they still don’t see that, despite the bottom position of the national team, German football is in crisis.
– The former head coach of the German men’s national team Joachim Löwin the era was probably somewhat too long. Current head coach Hansi Flick is only at the beginning of the change process. But German football is not in crisis. The women’s national team was in the EC final. Both the men’s and women’s Bundesliga have very strong viewership figures. Only men have a backwater stage from which there is a chance to rise, Miettinen said Riku Salminen in the pregame studio of the Spain match.
However, the atmosphere especially around the men’s national football team is weak in Germany. Urheilulehti highlighted a German opinion survey in its World Cup supplement. It stated that there is too much commercialism around national team football in Germany, the players are distant and the managers are corrupt. Overall, the sport exudes arrogance.
Juho Rantala according to the players have generally become more distant all the time in top football.
– Germany is the last bastion of top football, where the players are relatively close. If the players alienate themselves from the public in Germany, you should be really worried, Rantala stated.
Marianne Miettinen reminds us that football is not its own island or detached from the rest of society.
– There have been things that tear people apart in Germany: Energy crisis, war. The national team should unite the nation. If the nation is not united, how does the national team feel about the entire nation? Miettinen thinks.
One example of the situation in a traditional football country is that part of the nation was surprised by the national team’s protest before the match against Japan. According to those wondering, the team focused on the wrong things when Germany put their hands in front of their mouths in the team picture. Germany wanted to show its opinion after the international football association Fifa had banned the OneLove captain’s armbands aimed at supporting minorities. They have a logo with the colors of the rainbow.
– The first 60-70 minutes of the Japan match did not in any way speak of focusing on the wrong things, but on the contrary I considered it a brave act when they had been told to quiet down, Miettinen stated.
Miettinen was also particularly pleased that the German Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser followed the match with the OneLove captain’s armband on the arm of the Fifa president Gianni Infantino next to. World Cup host Qatar has a lot of human rights problems.
– Football players have taken a stand on human rights issues, but politicians must also take a stand. Nancy literally rocks! When a woman like that slaps the OneLove captain’s armband next to Infantino, it won’t be taken away from her. It was shown that Germany stands behind this message both in politics and in football, Miettinen said.
What will Germany’s situation look like at the World Cup in the future?
When we turn our eyes to the playing seen from Germany in Qatar, ‘s experts Jonne Kunnas is not worried.
– Of course, Germany now has to beat Costa Rica, and the situation is not only in their own hands. But if Germany continues, it can go as far as it wants. The game will develop from this, Kunnas states.
According to Kunnas, in the Japan game there were problems in defensive play, but not in the same way against Spain. At the offensive end, the expert raises a question mark about finishing.
– Germany can get to the scoring positions, but who will score the goals? The municipality is thinking.