Mercedes meets Volvo, Hyundai and have a Taco for lunch Group F Preview

This group is made up of the reigning champions Ze Shermans (as Jason Statham's character in the film Snatch calls them)  Sweden, Mexico and South Korea.

Four years ago, Die Nationalmannschaft as they are known in Germany became the first European team to win a world cup in South America. In the modern era and that is more than fifty years ago, no team has won consecutive world cups, the last to do so being Brazil in 1958 and then 1962. (Italy also achieved it in 1934 and 38 but that is not really counted as the game has changed so much)

There are two questions that need to be addressed here and the answer to one probably  reflects on the answer to the second. Why is it so hard to win consecutive trophy's and can Germany do it anyway.

It is hard because of the gap between tournaments, four years is a long time. It is very rare in a truly competitive league that a team wins two years running let alone three. (we will not stoop to use that awful Americanism for winning three in a row) The turn over in players is high and it is nigh on impossible to keep to the level of consistency needed to win with such a gap.

But of course, I can hear you say, this is Die Nationalmannschaft, Ze Shermans, normal rules do not apply to them, they are a well oiled machine with a seamlessly interchange of personnel who strike fear into most opponents. For example the player who scored the winning goal four years ago "super Mario Gotze" has not even been included in the squad this time round.

Super Mario against Argentina 2014 Final

That is all true and for that reason, I expect them to make the semi finals at least. In cloud cuckoo land they will lose to England in the quarter finals, but hey you have to hope.

Sweden, are in a rebuilding phase after the retirement of one Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a player of unbelievable ability. This is a team built on defence, they do not concede many, but without Zlatan, they have lost their "X" factor and have reverted to type, a Volvo of a team, solid but unspectacular.

They are like an IKEA flat pack, build, build, build and there is always that piece that is left over that you don't know what to do with. For Sweden that is an analogy for getting the ball to the edge of the box and then not knowing how to put it in the net.
They might still have enough to get to the last sixteen, but if the game between Mexico and South Korea ends in a positive result, they will need to beat one of them, so we will have to wait and see.
Here is a compilation of Zlatan's ten best goals just to remind us what we will be missing.

Gems from Zlatan

Mexico, are an enigma, they have been an ever present since 1994 and they were banned in 1990 for fielding ineligible players in an U20 game. They have progressed to the last 16 every time they have played since 1986, but that is it. They have never managed to take it to the next level. The most we remember about Mexico as I mentioned previously is the bloody wave. They might struggle this time to qualify, but do not bet against them.

Last but not least is South Korea, who knows, this might be the last time we ever see South Korea in a tournament, what with the winds of change emanating from Pyongyang. This is a relatively experienced team but this may prove to be one world cup too many for some of these players and I do not expect South Korea to borrow an expression from cricket, to trouble the scorers very much

Two more previews to come and tomorrow we will feature group G and En Ger Land