The second week of the Qatar World Cup will get underway with one in every of Australia’s Asian rivals a win away from a near-certain Round of 16 spot.
Meanwhile 2014 champions Germany face a digital must-win conflict with one of many event favourites in a Monday morning blockbuster.
Follow Matchday 8 on the FIFA World Cup together with Japan v Costa Rica (9pm AEDT), Belgium v Morocco (12am AEDT), Croatia v Canada (3am AEDT), Spain v Germany (6am AEDT) in our stay blogs under!
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JAPAN v COSTA RICA [9pm AEDT] – Preview (through AFP) and stay weblog
Costa Rica are “not lifeless” on the World Cup regardless of their 7-0 drubbing by Spain and won’t quit on a spot within the final 16 and not using a struggle, coach Luis Fernando Suarez.
“Los Ticos” will attempt to choose up the items of their marketing campaign in Qatar after they face Japan of their second match on Sunday and Suarez stated they “nonetheless have an opportunity” of advancing from Group E.
The coach conceded although that Costa Rica might want to give a drastically improved efficiency after being performed off the pitch by a rampant Spain.
“I do know that each participant is conscious of what they didn’t do within the sport, in bodily phrases, in soccer phrases and even emotionally,” stated a bullish Suarez.
“They are conscious that they should have a unique efficiency tomorrow. “In the final three days we have now been working and I can see that we’re able to have a unique efficiency and never repeat the errors we had towards Spain.”
Suarez stated he could make modifications to his beginning line-up however pressured that “it’s not nearly names – it’s about attitudes”.
The coach stated there had been “not a lot that was constructive” towards Spain however he refused to lie down and be overwhelmed.
“The message I have to ship to my folks is that we are going to hold preventing,” he stated, amid a grilling from Costa Rican reporters.
Japan will come into the match recent from their gorgeous 2-1 win over Germany of their opening sport.
A win, as anticipated, would put them on six factors and guarantee a berth within the spherical of 16 so long as Germany doesn’t beat Spain later within the day.
Costa Rica striker Joel Campbell stated the Blue Samurai will likely be wanting to take a step nearer to the knockout spherical however he vowed to “depart every little thing out on the pitch”.
“We are prepared to provide every little thing however that is soccer and typically issues don’t go as you anticipate,” stated Campbell, one in every of 5 survivors from Costa Rica’s run to the quarter-finals in 2014 who began towards Spain.
“We don’t know what is going to occur within the subsequent match however we are going to carry our A sport.”
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BELGIUM v MOROCCO [12am AEDT] – Preview (through AFP) and stay weblog
Eden Hazard admitted that Belgium’s greatest likelihood to win the World Cup had come and gone however stated they nonetheless have the standard and expertise to raise the trophy in Qatar.
Belgium, who completed third on the event in Russia in 2018, are nonetheless ranked second on the planet however most of the much-vaunted “Golden Generation” are actually of their 30s.
“To be truthful I believe we had a greater likelihood to win 4 years go,” admitted 31-year-old Hazard, talking on the eve of Sunday’s match towards Morocco.
“The staff was higher 4 years in the past however nonetheless we have now the standard to win video games and to win the competitors. We have a couple of guys, they’re a bit older now however we have now expertise and the perfect goalkeeper on the planet (Thibaut Courtois).
“We have among the finest midfields on the planet, proper now. We have good strikers. We have the staff and I believe it’s simply the will to wish to win, and the mentality.”
He added: “Belgium can win the World Cup if we’re in type. If we aren’t will probably be powerful.”
The Real Madrid ahead stated he was not over-worried by Belgium’s struggles of their opening Group F match towards Canada, which they received 1-0, however he urged the staff to play with out worry.
“The first match you all the time have a little bit of worry, you don’t all the time need the ball,” he stated. “Now we have to recover from that. We have to not be afraid to dribble, to play the killer go. That’s what was lacking within the first match.”
Hazard has struggled to repeat the shape he confirmed at Chelsea since he moved to Spain in 2019 however he stated he was in a position to brush off criticism over his performances.
“There has all the time been criticism,” he stated. “Even once you play nicely you get criticised. I simply attempt to deal with enjoying the perfect I can for my nation and I’ll give every little thing I can.”
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez was relaxed about his aspect’s type, highlighting the shortage of preparation time earlier than the event in Qatar.
“Slowly you’re going to see groups preparing after three video games within the event,” he stated.
“So quite than having that preparation for a World Cup, for a significant event the place you might have three friendlies and you’ve got 4 weeks to get all people within the optimum situation, the groups have to prepare whereas they’re within the event and that’s harmful as a result of it may possibly value you factors.”
Martinez gave an replace on the health of main striker Romelu Lukaku, who’s recovering from a thigh damage.
The Spaniard stated the ahead was not anticipated to be obtainable till the third group sport towards Croatia, in keeping with earlier expectations.
“He’s forward of what he ought to be,” stated Martinez. “I don’t anticipate him to be concerned tomorrow except one thing goes extraordinarily nicely at this time.”
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CROATIA v CANADA [3am AEDT] – Preview (through AFP) and stay weblog
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic demanded respect for his 2018 World Cup finalists after Canada boss John Herdman pledged the North American aspect would beat them in Qatar.
Dalic’s males face Canada on the Khalifa International Stadium of their second Group F match, with each groups preventing to maintain alive their hopes of reaching the knockout part.
“I instructed them they belong right here,” Herdman stated throughout a TV interview when requested what he instructed his gamers in a post-match huddle following their opening 1-0 defeat to Belgium.
The Canada coach used offensive language to induce his gamers to not be overawed by the Croatians, that includes stars comparable to Real Madrid’s Luka Modric.
Croatia have been angered by Herdman’s provocative declaration of intent after Canada’s first match at a World Cup for 36 years.
Herdman insisted on Saturday that his rant was merely meant to get his gamers to deal with Croatia as an alternative of dwelling on their spirited defeat towards fancied Belgium.
“The assertion I made was to remind these boys that there’s one other activity forward,” he stated. “They have been shopping for into that mentality from day one.
“I don’t even suppose this group are listening to that stuff. The boys know we have now objectives right here. We need to get after it, get on the entrance foot.”
But Croatia, who had been held to a lacklustre 0-0 draw towards Morocco of their opener, haven’t taken kindly to the 47-year-old Englishman’s feedback.
Dalic stated Croatia deserve extra respect from Herdman because of their achievements.
“The Croatian staff deserves respect from everybody,” he stated. “We have confirmed that by the way in which we have now performed and our conduct throughout the World Cup.
“We respect everybody equally. We are worthy of respect. The Canadians should respect us. These phrases are usually not of respect. We are the runners-up within the World Cup.”
Responding to Herdman earlier this week, Croatia’s 24 Sata tabloid ran a full-page picture of a unadorned man under Herdman’s superimposed head, with maple leaf flags over his mouth and personal components and a headline that translated as “You have the mouth, however do you might have the balls as nicely?” The controversy over the ebullient Herdman’s remark has raised the stakes.
“It’s a defining second for Canada within the World Cup. It’s a do-or-die second,” he stated.
“We’ve been ready 36 years to get right here. There isn’t any motivation wanted. We are enjoying Croatia on the World Cup, towards folks like Luka Modric. What a second.”
While Canada have little to lose after their shock qualification for the World Cup, the Croatians are beneath much more stress.
“This is a particularly essential and troublesome match for us. We need to be extra ready than within the final match,” Dalic stated.
“I anticipate a greater Croatia. Very usually once we face adversity we have now responded.”
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SPAIN v GERMANY [6am AEDT] – Preview (through AFP) and stay weblog
Germany coach Hansi Flick insisted his struggling staff have the standard to defeat rampant Spain as they ready for his or her do-or-die World Cup conflict.
Flick and Germany had been left reeling after crashing to a shock opening defeat to Japan in Group E, an upset that has left them staring down the barrel of a primary spherical elimination for a second straight World Cup.
A loss to the Spaniards would see Germany eradicated if Japan keep away from defeat towards Costa Rica in Sunday’s different Group E sport.
Flick nevertheless is assured that Germany have the expertise to reignite their World Cup marketing campaign towards a Spanish aspect that destroyed Costa Rica 7-0 of their first sport.
“We have a staff that has high quality, that may implement the issues (we’re engaged on), and we’re very constructive about it,” Flick stated.
“We have to arrive with braveness and with religion in our high quality for this sport towards Spain.” Flick appeared on the press convention alone – a breach of FIFA laws that requires groups to make a participant obtainable to talk to reporters on the eve of every sport.
Flick stated he appeared solo to keep away from one in every of his gamers having to make a three-hour spherical journey from Germany’s seaside base camp to Doha.
“We simply don’t wish to anticipate any participant to drive right here for thus lengthy. It’s a complete of just about three hours sitting within the automobile,” Flick stated.
“We have an important sport tomorrow. I stated I’ll do it (the press convention) alone as a result of the gamers – from 1 to 26 – are all essential.
“We are presently in an important part and they need to put together and prepare.”
Flick in the meantime rejected strategies that Germany had been distracted forward of the Japan sport due to their choice to protest towards FIFA’s “One Love” armband ban previous to the sport.
“I’m able to fade the entire background noise out,” Flick stated.
“For me, the main target has all the time been on the soccer. I’m fully satisfied of what we’re doing.”
Flick, who was named German coach after taking Bayern Munich to the sextuple in 2020 together with a 1-0 Champions League closing win over Paris Saint-Germain, known as the match “our first closing of this World Cup”.
Flick declined to take a position about whether or not a second consecutive early exit would imply the four-time World Cup winners had been now not a part of soccer’s elite.
“The sport on Sunday will reply that (whether or not Germany remains to be a world footballing energy). Maybe we could have a unique reply, a greater reply, to that query.”
Leroy Sane, who missed the primary match towards Japan with a knee damage, skilled once more with the staff on Saturday however Flick stated he would wish to verify the previous Manchester City winger’s health forward of the sport.
“With Leroy we have to wait and see how he goes,” Flick stated. “Afterwards we are able to say extra. He is glad that he can prepare with us once more.”
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