It’s time for me to wrap this up and steer you towards Rob Smyth’s coverage of Brazil v Switzerland. Will there be an upset to match the one we’ve just seen? Can the Swiss outdo Mexico’s win over Germany? Rob will have the answers. Join him. Bye!
Maybe Germany shouldn’t be too pessimistic. They still reached the final in 1982, which was the last time they lost their opening game.
Here’s a quick match report.
This result sets up the possibility of Germany facing Brazil in the last 16. Oof!
The holders haven’t won their opening game in four of the last five World Cups. The only ones to do so were Brazil in 2006 - they saw off Croatia thanks to a moment of inspiration from Kaka. Otherwise Germany have lost to Mexico today, Spain lost to Holland in 2014, Italy drew with Paraguay in 2010 and France lost to Senegal in 2002.
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Other than Mario Gomez’s late header, it’s difficult to think of many clear chances for Germany. They hit the woodwork twice and had a lot of efforts – 26 in the end – but they didn’t create enough. Mexico were pretty comfortable given the enormity of the occasion and really ought to have scored more than once. With greater composure they could have done to Germany what Holland did to Spain in 2014.
On the BBC, Rio Ferdinand is tearing into Germany’s inability to counter Mexico’s counters in the first half. Joshua Kimmich is a fine player but his positioning was such a weakness in the first half and it was inevitable that Hirving Lozano punished him.
“Germany remind me of France in 2002,” Niall Mullen says. “They’re actually played reasonably well. Things just haven’t fallen quite right for them.”
France were dire in 2002!
The Mexican celebrations were rather emotional. Can you blame them? They have pulled off one of the great World Cup upsets. They were outstanding in the first half, taking the lead through Hirving Lozano, and defended magnificently when they came under pressure. Their tactics were spot on and Germany had no answer. Mexico top Group F, although Sweden and South Korea are yet to play. They meet tomorrow.
Full-time: Germany 0-1 Mexico
That’s it! The holders have been beaten! It’s the first shock of Russia 2018 and Germany have lost their opening game for the first time since 1982! The Mexico players are in tears. Their fans can’t believe it. The German players can’t believe it. But they got what they deserved. Mexico were splendid.
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90 min+3: Gomez appeals for a penalty after falling over. Behave. Germany have a corner, though. Neuer’s up. But Mexico clear. Germany continue to press but Ochoa claims an overhit cross. That should be that.
90 min+2: The Mexican fans cheer as Ochoa smothers a pass from Muller before Draxler can reach it.
90 min+1: It’s so frantic now. Germany are camped in Mexico’s half. The whistles from the Mexican fans are ear-splitting.
90 min: Boateng shoots tamely at Ochoa from the edge of the area. There will be three added minutes. Herrera has been booked.
89 min: Brandt looks to make an instant impact with an electric surge inside from the left. The ball breaks to Gomez, who tries to flick it past Ochoa. There’s no way through. Mexico clear their lines. But Brandt isn’t done yet. The ball bounces to him and he makes stunning contact with it from 25 yards. Ochao is beaten all ends up but the shot clips the outside of the right post and behind!
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87 min: Mulller crosses from the right. Gomez mistimes his leap and bounces a free header embarrassingly over from six yards. That is a shocking miss.
86 min: Julian Brandt replaces Timo Werner, who may well find himself on the bench when Germany play Sweden next Saturday. “Search your MBM for the word Ozil,” says Peter McMurry. “How many hits? Perhaps there’s a message there...”
84 min: Germany almost release Werner but the striker’s forced wide. He retrieves it on the left and finds Kroos, whose shot doesn’t have pack enough of a punch to trouble Ochoa. Moments later Hummels sees yellow for a foul on Alvarez. The German centre-back looks resigned.
83 min: The ineffective Thomas Muller earns a booking for a frustrated trip on Herrera.
82 min: Gallardo storms forward and sprays a pass to Layun on the right. The midfielder batters a shot past the angle of post and bar.
81 min: Jimenez wastes a three-on-two counterattack with a dreadful pass to Layun.
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79 min: Germany make another change, Mario Gomez replacing Marvin Plattenhardt. Mexico will face a physical test now.
78 min: Layun goes on a noble, valiant run to relieve some pressure. He’s one-on-one with Hummels but he’s running out of steam as he veers to the right and shoots over from 25 yards.
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77 min: Kroos threads a pass into the Mexico area. The ball comes to Draxler, who earns space for a shot with a lovely dummy. Alvarez heroically throws himself in front of the ball to turn it over for a corner. That looked like it was going to be the equaliser. Not that Mexico can relax. Moments later Muller’s bursting in from the right, drawing Ochoa, but he’s denied as well. Mexico will not give this up easily.
76 min: Kroos sweeps a shot wide from 18 yards. Ochoa had it covered. Germany have positional dominance but they aren’t exactly throwing the kitchen sink at Mexico.
73 min: The 39-year-old Rafael Marquez replaces Guadardo and takes the armband. He’s equalled the record of captaining a country at five World Cups.
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71 min: Marco Reus tries to cushion a cross into the middle. Gallardo blocks it with his face and collapses. The ball comes back to Reus, who belts a volley over from a tight angle. Gallardo will need some treatment.
70 min: Mexico counter for the first time in a while. Layun threads a pass through to Hernandez, who can’t really run. Therefore he decides to fall over in the area and claim a push by Hummels. Nope. Germany eventually get a free-kick.
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68 min: Germany take the corner shot before flinging the ball into the middle. The cross hits a Mexican head and flies to Werner, who rams an instinctive volley over the bar from 12 yards. Mexico are starting to live a little dangerously.
67 min: A misjudgement from Salcedo sees a cross from the right bounce to Draxler. He controls and sees his curling shot take a deflection and dip wide.
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66 min: Hirving Lozano, whose goal separates the side, is taken off for Raul Jimenez, who’ll be playing for Wolves next season.
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66 min: The disappointing Werner runs at Salcedo and tries to cross. The ball rebounds off the Mexico right-back, hits Werner and goes behind for a goal-kick.
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65 min: Boateng dinks a cross into the middle.
Miroslav Klose Jurgen Klinsmann
Joshua Kimmich tries an overhead kick that loops inches over the bar and on to the roof of the net.
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64 min: Germany have had 59% of the possession. Much good it’s done them. Mexico have been far more effective.
62 min: Kroos and Reus get themselves into a muddle on the right of the Mexico area. The ball runs out for a goal-kick. The encouraging thing for Germany is that Mexico are starting to sit back, though. There’s a long way to go.
60 min: Germany make their first change: Marco Reus replaces Sami Khedira.
58 min: Mexico make a defensive change, Edson Alvarez replacing Carlos Vela.
57 min: Mexico finally enjoy a counterattack. Plattenhardt has bombed forward, allowing Hernandez to scoot clear down the right, with Boateng the only man back. Lozano’s free to his left and Germany are all over the place. Yet Hernandez just overcooks the pass, forcing Lozano wide. The winger turns and tees up Guadardo, who wellies one over from 20 yards.
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56 min: Mexico haven’t really had an attack since the restart. There’s a hint of panic. Germany are forcing them back.
55 min: Germany are showing more confidence. They’re moving the ball with more urgency. Ozil feeds Draxler on the left. His effort takes a deflection and the wrongfooted Ochoa is relieved to see it spin past the right post. “Germany need to take off Khedira and bring on Goretzka and let Kroos hold,” Bo Simango says. “This 4-2-3-1 is not going to go far with Muller on the wing, he doesnèt have the legs for it. Sane would have been great but Reus or Brandt for now.”
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52 min: Mexico obviously have a lot of attacking talent but there’s an argument their fearless approach is a lesson for other unfancied teams. Egypt received praise for almost holding Uruguay on Friday but I think they missed a trick and ended up paying for their negative approach. Though Peru lost to Denmark yesterday, I thought they created enough to win and could still sneak through - there’s no need for them to change their template. Grinding hasn’t really worked for the smaller countries so far.
51 min: Lozano, who is probably going to get a big move after this tournament, runs at Kimmich on the left. But he ends up dribbling it out of play.
48 min: Plattenhardt shoots straight at Ochoa from 25 yards. The question will be how much Mexico sit back. Will they stick or twist? What’s clear, surely, is that Kimmich can’t leave as much space as he did in the first half. Surely his attacking threat has been neutralised by the way he’s been targeted by Mexico.
46 min: Germany begin the second half. “Can I add my own vote against Evra?” says Ian Copestake. “I had to avert my eyes from ITV once he began his 1970s comedy routine. Neither male sat comfortably in the presence of their female colleague.”
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One of the qualities that has set Germany apart in the past is their remorselessness. Do you see that in this team now that a lot of the old guard have retired? Your Lahms, your Kloses, your Schweinsteigers and Ballacks.
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Is it time for Leon Goretzka?
@JacobSteinberg Cesc Fabregas' analysis is spot on. Germany has to get a holding midfielder in front of the defenders. (shout out to Fabregas in general, great addition to the BBC couch)
— Hubert O'Hearn (@BTBReviews) June 17, 2018
Half-time viewing
“What, precisely, is Khedira’s role in this German side?” Joseph Harvey says. “It seems if Kimmich is going to be playing as a winger, shouldn’t Khedira be parked in front of the back line?”
There’s a real lack of pace in this side. A penny for Leroy Sane’s thoughts.
Half-time: Germany 0-1 Mexico
The holders are in trouble. They have been thoroughly outplayed by Mexico, who fully deserve the lead given to them by Hirving Lozano. The Mexicans have battered Germany, who have looked slow and ponderous, and it could be more than 1-0. Germany haven’t lost an opening game since 1982. That run’s under huge threat.
45 min+1: There will be one added minute.
45 min: Vela, who has been outstanding, jabs a shot just wide from 20 yards. He hasn’t really lived up to his potential, has he? But he’s using his talent to excellent effect here. Germany can’t handle him.
43 min: Mexico will keep attacking. Vela leads another lightning burst but he picks the wrong pass, going right instead of left. Then the ball slides just too far in front of Lozano on the left.
41 min: “Liverpool fan here,” Gokul Kannan says. “People constantly underestimate how much quality is required to play on the counter. It is an easy decision for an inferior team to sit back and play on the counter. But being decisive and making use of each counter is a completely different question. The first and second pass in a counter attack has to be so precise. It is amazingly thrilling to watch. Love the way Portugal and Mexico are doing it.”
40 min: Moreno picks up a booking for timewasting. There is quite a lot of time left.
39 min: Draxler and Kroos stand over the ball. It’s in a central position and could be made for a left-footer or a right-footer. In the end Kroos wins the argument. He whips it over the wall with his right foot but Ochoa springs to his left and fingertips the ball on to the bar and away to safety! What a save! What a sport!
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37 min: Mexico are immediately under pressure, conceding a free-kick 25 yards from goal. It was Lozano on Kimmich. Kroos fancies this.
This is a magnificent breakaway goal! Another Germany attack breaks down after more ponderousness and Mexico snappily win the ball back. Hernandez injects urgency into the Mexico counter, turning brilliantly near halfway to leave Hummels and Boateng wheezing. He leads the attack and eventually spots Lozano in space on the left. This time the pass is perfect. Lozano cuts inside again, beating Ozil, who had desperately hared back to provide cover. Lozano finally has space for a shot with his right foot and he hammers the ball low to Neuer’s right!
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GOAL! Germany 0-1 Mexico (Lozano, 35 min)
It’s been coming!
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34 min: The Mexican fans are oléing their passes. That won’t end well, will it? Or will it? The underdogs are playing so well and Vela almost conjures a majestic assist for Layun. He threads an eye-of-the-needle pass through to Layun but it’s just too heavy for the midfielder to collect and Germany escape again.
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33 min: Gallardo takes on Kimmich on the left and drills in a low cross. Germany hastily clear the ball.
31 min: Germany were subjected to a similar chasing by Algeria in 2014. They still won. When they’re down, you have to make the punches count. Mexico still have nothing to show for their dominance.
29 min: Layun shoots straight at Neuer from 25 yards.
28 min: A loose pass runs through to Vela on the left. Kimmich has disappeared again. Yet Mexico are struggling to come up with the killer pass. Vela’s attempted cross is cut out too easily by Boateng. You sense that Germany are going to make them pay eventually.
26 min: Khedira wins a free-kick on the right. Kroos whips it in but it’s not long before Mexico are whirring forward again. Lozano’s the threat on the left but he runs into traffic after driving inside. A promising move ends with Layun firing over from 20 yards. Mexico just need more composure in the final third. They have so much space. They’re quicker than the Germans.
23 min: Mexico are dangerous every time they break. Lozano opens up his legs this time and knocks a pass forwards to Hernandez, who sees a shot blocked by Boateng.
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22 min: Ozil sprays a pass out to Draxler on the left. He cuts inside and tries to make space for a shot. Instead, he lays the ball off to Kroos, who rips one goalwards with his left foot from 25 yards. Ochoa dives to his left to save.
20 min: Germany go direct and Mexico fail to deal with a long ball. Werner causes problems and the ball falls kindly to him. He spins and shoot straight at Ochoa. Draxler, unmarked to his left, is furious that he didn’t get a pass. But I suppose that’s what No9s do.
18 min: Germany are so uncomfortable at the back. Vela rumbles through the middle and manages to slip a pass through to Hernandez, who’s unmarked on the left of the area. Hernandez has a sight of goal but he can’t get the ball out of his feet and ends up losing the opportunity. “I have never seen so many silver foxes on one team,” Ian Copestake says. “Germany seem like a premature Grandad-eleven.”
17 min: “I doubt there’s an attacking player on the pitch who’s as good as let alone better than Leroy Sane,” says Niall Mullen. “Regardless of how it affects Germany I think Löw has cheated us out of watching one of the most thrilling attackers in Europe.”
16 min: Kroos’s shot hits his own man and goes wide. “This has Germany 1-0 Mexico written all over it,” says Paul in Toronto.
15 min: This is a ridiculous game. Kimmich curls a cross towards the far post. Salcedo, with Draxler lurking behind him, almost scores an own-goal. He’s relieved to see his unwitting clearance dribble just past the right post. Nothing comes from the corner.
14 min: So, a free-kick to Mexico on the right. Layun swings it in and Moreno rises almost unchallenged, only for his downward header to bounce a little too close to Neuer. A couple of yards to the right and that was probably the opening goal. Mexico are having a lot of fun at the moment.
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13 min: Mexico are exerting the high press, which is making it hard for Germany to get out. The champions are unsettled. Guarardo hounds Kroos, who falls over and picks the ball up. That’s handball! The Iranian referee spots it, awards Mexico a free-kick on the right and tells Kroos to shove it.
12 min: Ozil dinks a pass over the top to Kimmich. Lozano’s dozed off. But Kimmich only manages to poke a cross into Ochoa’s grateful grasp.
10 min: Herrera lets fly from 25 yards but Neuer fields the midfielder’s powerful effort easily enough. Mexico look threatening.
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9 min: Layun’s disappointing effort drifts harmlessly over the bar. And breathe. This is a cracking game.
8 min: Mexico pour forward and Vela storms through the middle, Germany’s central midfielders nowhere to be seen. Lozano’s clear on the left again but Vela can’t pick him out. He can win a free-kick, though, Hummels bringing him down 25 yards from goal. This is a chance. Miguel Layun fancies it.
7 min: Draxler glides inside from the left and coaxes a past through to Muller, who wins a corner. Germany take it short and Draxler almost combines with Muller again. Mexico think that Draxler’s offside but play continues. The ball runs to Hummels, who shoots straight at Ochoa from 18 yards.
5 min: We’ve gone two minutes without a chance. This is a disgrace. “Some pity for Ter Stegen - does marvellously all season for Barcelona and during the Germany warm-ups, then gets dumped when Neuer come back from injury,” Charles Antaki says. “No doubt he is wishing his team mate well for the match, but watch for the TV director cutting to a close up if and when Neuer makes a rick of a save.”
3 min: Now it’s Germany’s turn to threaten, Kimmich showing up in a deep position on the right and slipping a pass through to Werner, who uses his pace to stream away from Moreno. The striker decides he might as well shoot from a tight angle but his effort zips past the far post.
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2 min: This isn’t a convincing start from the German defence at all. In comes the corner and they’re all at sea again as the ball’s headed down. Neuer plunges down in the six-yard box, though, before the ball can be bundled past him.
Peep! Mexico, in green shirts and white shorts, get the ball rolling to a huge cheer. They’re kicking from right to left in the first half. They haven’t beaten the Germans, who are in white shirts and black shorts, since 1985. But they’re showing no fear. They pour forward straight away, Vela scheming, and Lozano bursts into the area from the left, tearing away from Kimmich, who can’t handle the winger’s pace. Lozano moves on to his right foot and looks certain to beat Neuer, only for Boateng to desperately divert his shot over!
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We’ve had the anthems and the handshakes. It’s time for the football. More football. More. Give me more football.
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Here come the teams! It’s bouncing inside the Luzhniki Stadium. There are plenty of Germans there but the Mexicans are making one hell of a racket too. I’m looking forward to this. After a few dour matches, hopefully this is going to be more like Spain v Portugal, an ding-dong end-to-end affair. Germany are heavy favourites but Mexico are bound to give it a go. They’re unbeaten in their opening game since 1994.
A stat! This is Germany’s oldest World Cup side since the 2002 final against Brazil. That’s slightly misleading, mind you, given that Manuel Neuer and Sami Khedira are their only players in their 30s. They look like they’re marinating nicely.
Joshua Kimmich is so good I just assumed he played in the 1954 final.
@JacobSteinberg Shockingly, it is also Kimmich's World Cup debut.
— Dirk Bansch (@ElDirko) June 17, 2018
“I live in Frankfurt and so I can give you the shock low calorie skinny on the fact that despite Germany’s seeming ominousness in most positions supporters are actually not their usual confident selves,” Ian Copestake says. “My Book Club group this morning sounded like a bunch of scared children at the prospect of facing Mexico.”
They must have heard a lot about Hirving Lozano. Mind you, it might be difficult for the winger to get much change out of Joshua Kimmich, the outstanding Bayern Munich right-back.
You can fill the wait before kick-off by selecting your all-time Germany and Mexico World Cup 11s. I’ve got Carsten Jancker up front for Germany in mine.
These two sides met in the second round at France 98. Luis Hernandez gave Mexico the lead in the 47th minute but an ageing Germany hit back with goals from Olivier Bierhoff and Jurgen Klinsmann, only to collapse against Croatia in the last eight.
The first email! “I know I shouldn’t write off the Germans, but this century reigning world champions have had a torrid time at subsequent World Cups,” Kari Tulinius says. “With the exception of Brazil in 2006, no world champion has even made it out of their group. My theory is that players for world champion teams become marquee names who play week-in week-out for their clubs which, coupled with their national commitments, leave them wrung dry in four years’ time. Then again, that may augur well for the Germans, whose line-up has changed quite a bit since 2014.”
It hasn’t been retained since Brazil in 1962. Which is quite a long time. But if anyone can do it, it might just be this team, especially as there doesn’t seem to be a standout favourite in this tournament. This isn’t a tired side. A few players have shuffled on, others have aged well and young players are looking to make their name.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/14/the-complexity-of-supporting-el-tri-on-the-us-mexico-border
If you want to show off, you can read this MBM in Spanish.
No surprises from Joachim Low. Germany line up in a 4-2-3-1 system and look ominous in goal, central defence, central midfield and up front. It’s a team that boasts enviable tournament experience, though it will be interesting to see how Hertha Berlin’s Marvin Plattenhard and RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner fare on their World Cup debuts.
The big news from a Mexican perspective is that Juan Carlos Osorio has selected Javier Hernandez up front. The West Ham forward was expected to be on the bench after enduring a disappointing season but he’s managed to win a place in the starting 11, much to the delight of Mexican supporters. Forget about Hernandez, though, the real draw in this side is Hirving “Chucky” Lozano, PSV Eindhoven’s brilliant winger.
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The teams
Germany: Neuer; Kimmich, Hummels, Boateng, Plattenhardt; Khedira, Kroos; Muller, Ozil, Draxler; Werner.
Mexico: Ochoa; Salcedo, Ayala, Moreno, Gallardo; Herrera, Guadardo; Layun, Vela, Lozano; Hernandez.
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran).
Group E has opened with Serbia beating Costa Rica 1-0 in a feisty game. Here’s a match report.
Preamble
Hello. If there’s one thing Germany are really good at, it’s the World Cup. It’s why you should never write them off. That’s a sentence you’re going to hear a lot over the next four weeks. Do. Not. Write. Off. The Germans. Under. No. Circumstances. Should. You. Write. Off. The. Germans. They’re good when they’re bad and they’re bloody terrifying when they’re good. They always win. Even when they lose. They’ve won every tournament that’s ever taken place. They’ve even won the Copa America. And Wimbledon. And the Tour de France. They won the Tour de France on foot. What a team.
That sense of inevitability can be hard to resist. Years of hard-nosed success has given them an intimidating aura before each tournament, making it difficult to know how highly to rate them and wise not to take them at their word if they express a few doubts about their chances before their first game. They might have awesome powers of self-belief but it can also suit them not to appear too cocky, enabling them to lull their opponents into a false sense of security. Never write them off. Especially when they’re writing themselves off.
Mexico should probably keep that in mind here. They’re an enterprising side who could cause a few problems and they’ll surely have identified a few areas to target. This could be more open and entertaining than much of what’s passed so far. Yet for all that Joachim Low caused consternation by leaving out Leroy Sane, for all that Manuel Neuer’s coming back from a long injury and there is uncertainty about who should play at left-back, the Germans are brimming with talent, youthful brio, experience and tournament nous. Finding weaknesses isn’t an easy task, they won the Confederations Cup with a reserve side last year and it’s likely that Mexico will be competing with South Korea and Sweden for second place in Group F.
We’ve seen a few of the heavy hitters already. Spain and Portugal laid on a classic, Argentina showed themselves to be Messi-reliant and defensively shoddy, France were stodgy against Australia and the magnificent Peruvians. Now it’s the turn of the world champions. Just remember not to write them off.
Kick-off: 4pm BST.
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