World Cup 2018 Qualifiers

Spain v Italy the obvious hit tonight. I did not realize it was so tight in group I with four teams still playing for qualification.
 
Germany is getting older. The leaders have aged/disappeared: Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Mertesacker Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Muller, Klose. Now they have a lot of very good players at the same level, but who is going to step up and lead tht team on and off the field. They could not get a grip of midfield at all yesterday. Who is the next team spine? Hummels, Kroos, Ozil, Draxler, Werner. Maybe they´ll grow into the roles.

You somehow mixed the ages. Müller is younger than Hummels and Özil - but 3 months older than Kroos - Kroos and Müller already played together for Bayern's U19 and had their first match for Germany at the same day. Boateng, Özil, Boateng are all born in 88.

The actual spine is Neuer - Hummels - Boateng - Khedira - Kroos - Müller. Neuer is 31 (but age does not count for a goalkeeper), Khedira 30, Hummels, Boateng (28), Müller and Kroos 27. Do not forget that they were very young when they had their first World Cup 2010.

We right now do not need to discuss the spine after that. Apart from Khedira all could still be there at the World Cup in Qatar. Kimmich for sure has leader potential.

They could not get a grip on the midfield yesterday as Löw already was in the experimental mood playing with 3 in the back, Kroos as single no. 6, 3 no. 10s or hanging strikers etc. Somehow trying to connect the usual style with that of the Confed Cup. But they totally lacked the balance like this. We are actually used to this with Löw - but he must be very confident right now that we get through the qualification as he usually starts that experiments after we are qualified.

I usually watch Germany and their style has always been the same under Low: a sort of tiki-taka. The problem is that it has become even slower in the last years.

Possession football simply caused by the fact that you have a team that usually does not loose the ball too often or wins it back pretty fast and opponents that sit back. You do not have that up and down the field all the time what you seem to call speed - but what makes it easier for the offensives. Like this spaces are difficult to find. But somehow that seems to be successful, or?
 
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Spain will play without #9, Busquets,Koke,Iniesta,Isco,Asensio,Silva.
Hopefully Villa will get some minutes
 
David Villa? Seems a bit of a random call up now

He matches best to the style of the team. It might be somehow like Klose for Germany in his last seasons - he was just the best fit in combination with the offensive midfielders. Then age does not matter. With Silva and Co. behind they do not rely on him being the main outlet.
 
David Villa? Seems a bit of a random call up now
Yes,It was very unexpected but He's playing well and scoring goals. Costa should have thought about the international games instead this summer of semi retired player.
 
Millions of us Swedes will miss the Spain–Italy match this evening at the Bernabeu, and also tomorrow's Belarus–Sweden. Contract dispute between the distributor and two Swedish TV-networks.

I was looking forward to both. Frustrating.
 
Kane scores 2 and assists 1 ... yet Rashford was the best player on the pitch?

Yeah, fair point. He also had a few other dangerous moments as well. I guess I was drawn in by the difference the introduction of Rashford made to the England's general torpor up to that point. I wasn't fair on Kane, he had very little to work with and did fine.
 
In Cardiff for the Wales Austria game, can't wait. Ramsey to be first goal scorer
 
Big evening in our group. You'd think ourselves and Serbia should win comfortably but any dropped points today will be massive.

Wales Austria is the big game though. Not sure what result I'd prefer but dropping points at home to the Austrians looks worse every time I think about it.
 
They don't know how to attack? :D
Lot of workhorse players and no real creative spark, mostly just long balls for Long to chase or on to the head of Walters. Play to our strengths and make ourselves hard to beat first of all, looking to get chances from set pieces of long balls.
 
Lot of workhorse players and no real creative spark, mostly just long balls for Long to chase or on to the head of Walters. Play to our strengths and make ourselves hard to beat first of all, looking to get chances from set pieces of long balls.
Fair point mate :)
 
Lot of workhorse players and no real creative spark, mostly just long balls for Long to chase or on to the head of Walters. Play to our strengths and make ourselves hard to beat first of all, looking to get chances from set pieces of long balls.

Or..The Ugly Game as it otherwise known :lol: