WC 2022: Mina no nihongo

Croatia - Morocco 0-0

Germany - Japan 1-2

Spain - Costa Rica 7-0

Belgium - Canada 1-0

It does annoy me no end I don't get to watch enough football. And while some might argue about what exactly 'enough' means, I think 8 hours of football a day is just about right. 'Oh, but can it be any football?' Of course not, but this is the World Cup! We'll get to the tough games soon, but actually, I like it when it's not all Brazil - Argentina or Netherlands - Germany. The more exotic the better! Qatar v Ecuador? Brilliant! Croatia v Morocco? When else do I have the opportunity to learn something about either of these countries?

And my oh my, so much of my knowledge of geography and geopolitics comes from watching football!

It's even worse when I don't see a game that finishes 0-0, as then I have no indication as to who played what. In my book, Croatia - Morocco was a clear win for the Croatians, but apparently not. Who knows, maybe there is something to Sammy Eto's predictions and Morocco will make the final. (Spoiler alert: they won't) 

With Belgium playing poorly and Canada the other contender, Morocco have put themselves in a good position with this result. My money is still on Belgium & Croatia, but we'll see.

Same thing with Belgium - Canada. Upon seeing the score, I'm tempted to think it's a predictable win and that Belgium could've probably scored more. The reviews paint a different picture though, saying Canada was the more offensive team and they missed a penalty. So I don't know. Both Belgium and Croatia have aging teams, so the premises are there to see an upset in this group.

Talking about upsets... Germany! Not only did they lose to Japan, but the Japanese were worthy winners. Yes, Germany had more possession and attacked more, but that doesn't mean anything when you can't convert chances. Japan, on the other hand, were absolutely clinical in front of goal and were unlucky not to score again in the closing minutes. Of course, substitute Takuma Asano will be rightfully hailed as the hero of the game, but Japan were true to the football we have come to expect from them: never stop running. Add to this some purposefulness in front of goal, and you can beat anyone. Even a German team lacking direction.

This result makes for a very interesting Group E, the one I thought was the most interesting anyway. Though, to be fair, I expected more from Costa Rica. Tiny country, but with an immense love of football, and they always give a good account of themselves in the World Cup. Not so much last night. I only saw Spain's 7th goal, which was conceded extremely easy, but the scoreline leaves little doubt about the kind of battering it must've been. Poor Keylor Navas, this must've been the revenge of an entire La Liga frustrated by all the losses to Real Madrid. 

So fair to say Spain has won the group. I am hoping for some sort of Costa Rican revival - a draw with Germany might well be on the cards, why not? I don't see Japan getting anything against Spain, but if they play the game of their lives against Costa Rica, it doesn't even matter. And here's a long shot from me: Germany eliminated from the groups come next week, but winning the World Cup in 2026.

You heard it here first.