World Cup 2022: Group E Preview
Spain has the back-to-back “Golden Boys” in Pedri and Gavi. Can the new generation build on deep runs in the Euro Cup and Nations League and take Spain back to the promised land?
Spain
FIFA Rank: #7
Qualified as: 1st place in UEFA Group B
The Skinny
The era of Spain dominance that bridged the late aughts to the early 2010s came to a stunning halt when La Roja crashed out of the 2014 World Cup in the group stage. Seemingly caught between the acclaimed old guard and the talented but inexperienced new generation, they continued to struggle in the ensuing tournaments, exiting both Euro 2016 and World Cup 2018 in the Round of 16, despite winning their group in both tournaments. However, a semifinal run in last summer's Euro Cup (only losing in penalties to eventual champions Italy) and a narrow defeat in the Nations League Final a few months later, as well as a breezy waltz through World Cup qualifying, has led many to believe that under manager Luis Enrique, they are ready to once again compete for top honors.
The Best XI
I would say that "Spain is so spoiled for talent they can afford to leave the likes of Sergio Ramos and Thiago home!", but that suggests that not including those two in this squad wasn't an insane choice by Enrique, which it was. That said, there is still an enormous deal of talent here, and Premier League stars Aymeric Laporte and Cesar Azpilicueta can combine with veteran fullbacks Jordi Alba and Dani Carvajal to form a back line still rich with experience. Longtime captain Sergio Busquests is likely to helm the midfield, but if Enrique is interested in trotting out the most talent on the field, he should opt for Manchester City' star defensive midfielder Rodri, and the last two winners of FIFA's "Golden Boy" award, Gavi and Pedri, both of Barcelona. The latter two combined with the Barca forward duo of Ansu Fati and Ferrán Torres create a young attack force with a drool-inducing amount of talent and potential.
Costa Rica
FIFA Rank: #31
Qualified as: 4th place in CONCACAF 3rd round, defeated New Zealand in playoffs
The Skinny
Though they have continue to qualify for every tournament ahead of them, Costa Rica's glorious quarterfinal (and almost semifinal!) run in the 2014 World Cup feels like another lifetime. Los Ticos finished last in their group in both the 2016 Copa America and the 2018 World Cup, and in the CONCACAF-specific Gold Cups and Nations League tournaments, haven't made it past the semifinals. However, a vital late surge in CONCACAF's World Cup qualifying, and a relatively easy win over New Zealand in the playoff for the final spot might suggest that this is a team coming together and rounding into form in the exact right moment.
The Best XI
The good news for Costa Rica is a lot of those players from that 2014 run still play for them! The bad news for Costa Rica is... a lot of those layers from that 2014 run still start for them. This is an aging squad, but a deceptively solid one, in other words. The star, of course, is still PSG goalie Keylor Navas, and longtime starters Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell complement young Sunderland player Jewson Bennette in attack, while Real Salt Lake's Bryan Oviedo, Alajualense's Celso Borges, and Herediano's Yeltsin Tejeda combine for a very experienced midfield.
Germany
FIFA Rank: #11
Qualified as: 1st place in UEFA Group J
The Skinny
It's funny to see Germany in Spain's group, not just because the two kept bumping up against each other in Euro Cup qualifying and Nations League the last two years, but also because the two nations have shockingly similar trajectories. Germany was the beneficiary of Spain's demise in 2014, claiming their own 4th World Cup title, but their brief era of dominance ended with a last-place finish in the 2018 World Cup group stage, as well as the 2019 Nations League. Longtime manager Joachim Löw was sent off with an underwhelming Round of 16 exit in last summer's Euro Cup as well, but the tides seem to be turning under new boss Hansi Flick. Die Mannschaft bulldozed through World Cup qualifying, winning every single match, and though they did not win their group in this year's Nations League, they notched some big victories over Italy and England in the competition.
The Best XI
With Germany-- again, like Spain --it's difficult to identify where it all went wrong for them from 2018-2020, because there remains an envious amount of talent in this squad. The experienced and consistently reliable Thomas Müller will likely lead an all-Bayern Munich attacking trio complemented by Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry. The Bayern influence continues at the back with 5-time "Goalkeeper of the Year" Manuel Neuer, and in midfield with Joshua Kimmich and the electric youngster Jamal Musiala. If there is a clear weakness in this Deutschland XI, it's in the back line, where minimal depth at CB and fullback put a large amount of pressure on Dortmund's Niklas Süle and Madrid's Antonio Rüdiger to perform.
Japan
FIFA Rank: #24
Qualified as: 2nd Place in AFC Group B
The Skinny
Japan are a consistent presence in the World Cup, but have carved out a bit of a reputation in these tournaments as a 'ping-pong' side. In 2002, 2010, and 2018, they reached the knockout stages (and in each case, came tantalizingly close to the quarterfinals). However, in the 1998, 2006, and 2014 World Cups, they not only failed to reach the knockout stage but even finished last place in their group. By the law of averages, the pendulum should swing against The Blue Samurai this tournament after their thrilling performance in the last Cup. But this is a team sneaky full of talent, and recent performances against the U.S., Ecuador and Canada suggest they will once again be a tough out.
The Best XI
An interesting aspect of Japan's squad selection is that it is extremely high on wingers/attacking midfielders, and very short on pure strikers. In that vein, I think their talent would be best maximized by propping up Bochum's Takumo Asano up top, with former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino behind him, and Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton) and Daichi Kamada (Frankfurt) flanking them. The defensive midfield has plenty of talent, too, with Stuttgart's Endo and Sporting Lisbon's Morita helming. Captain and Schalke vet Maya Yoshia, Arsenal star Tomiyasu and Mönchengladbach's Itakura all comprise a solid back line for veteran keeper Eiji Kawashima.
Group Prediction
A lot of people consider this to be the “Group of Death,” the top-to-bottom most difficult, but as you'll remember from my Group B preview, I disagree. Costa Rica and Japan have both been good enough to be World Cup spoilers in the past, but this is nowhere near either's best team. It would be pretty shocking if anyone but the European powers progressed from this group, in my opinion, and between those two, Spain is the more consistent bet.
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