Group stage matches:

Date Match Time (ET) Stadium
Wed, Nov. 23 Germany vs. Japan 8 a.m. Khalifa Int'l
Wed, Nov. 23 Spain vs. Costa Rica 11 a.m. Al Thumama
Sun, Nov. 27 Japan vs. Costa Rica 5 a.m. Ahmad Bin Ali
Sun, Nov. 27 Spain vs. Germany 2 p.m. Al Bayt
Thurs, Dec. 1 Japan vs. Spain 2 p.m. Khalifa Int'l
Thurs, Dec. 1 Costa Rica vs. Germany. 2 p.m. Al Bayt

Prediction: Germany and Spain (this is a spicy group)

Hard to see the two European favorites not advancing here.

Going to go out on a limb and say Germany and Japan

wouldn't mind an upset from either the concacaf team or the Japanese team that smoked USA in the September friendly.

Not much of a write up here other than Germany and Spain making it through

Spain
Germany

Germany, Spain

I have Spain winning the group--and the World Cup.

Pulling for Deutschland.

Ugh Kai Havertz… only thing I can think of is his massive unproduction at Chelsea while Pulisic sits the bench.

Damn great counter by Japan.

Clearly offside, but Germany got lucky there.

Pretty impressed by Japan early on. Wondering how long they can keep this pace and pressure up though.

If they keep that up for the whole game, I won't feel quite as bad about the US loss in the friendly.

Japan is feisty

Rule Number 32 said:

---

Pretty impressed by Japan early on. Wondering how long they can keep this pace and pressure up though.

---

Thinking the same thing.

Those picking the two Euro teams. Bold move.

LB12Diamond said:

---

Those picking the two Euro teams. Bold move.

---

You have Costa Rica and Japan, right?

Penalty for Germany.

Man, even if the first wasn't a foul, the takedown after definitely was. Bad moves by the keeper.

GOOOOOOOOAAAAL!!!

YokelRidesAgain said:

---

LB12Diamond said:

---

Those picking the two Euro teams. Bold move.

---

You have Costa Rica and Japan, right?

---

I just think a group like this, everyone know the two that are advancing. So it's funny to me people are stating it.

1-0

deadbq03 said:

---

Man, even if the first wasn't a foul, the takedown after definitely was. Bad moves by the keeper.

---

Yeah I think he would have gotten away with the first, but the 2nd arm tackle was awful

Japan whipped USA in a September friendly. They have some quality. After they conceded the pen, they'll have to press a lot more. Should be an entertaining second half.

gougler08 said:

---

deadbq03 said:

---

Man, even if the first wasn't a foul, the takedown after definitely was. Bad moves by the keeper.

---

Yeah I think he would have gotten away with the first, but the 2nd arm tackle was awful

---

I think he just tripped on that second "take down"

Havertz!

Offsides!!

Yeah clearly off

I hate how the German shirt looks like an open white button down shirt

Japan got lucky there. They were caught completely flat footed and kinda fell asleep on defense.

Nice drop header by the Japanese defender to the German guy though. Pretty sure if the German had gotten to that ball first, he wouldn't have laid it off quite as nicely on a platter!

oh no said:

---

Offsides!!

---

Good call. Looked that way in real time.

Fox is not doing a great job with replays.

Germany need a proper target man. Been lacking one since Klose retired.

I'm surprised that Japan keeps playing directly to a short forward versus trying to work the ball upfield. I don't think the guy upfront has won a single header

Almost 2-nil there.