Showdown on the last matchday of Group A: Germany and Turkey went head-to-head in a long-distance duel. The decision brought an eventful Club World Cup.
They were not to succeed. Not Chelsea FC, not RB Leipzig and not FC Bayern Munich. They all failed – sometimes more clearly, sometimes more narrowly – against Yokohama F. Marinos. What would undoubtedly sound like a sensation in real football was not all that surprising at the FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager.
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“We were able to further strengthen the squad in terms of quality and we also see ourselves as well prepared for the Club World Cup,” said head coach Sven Goly to kicker eSport the evening before – and he was right. A bit of luck was also involved, though. In the semifinals, Goly and assistant Whenett’s team faced FC Bayern Munich. After a double blow within seven in-game minutes, everything seemed to be going as usual, but the Munich team managed to catch up in injury time in the first half.
After the restart, the drama escalated. Bayern pressed, wanted to equalize at any cost and were clearly ahead, at least according to the xGoals statistics. The only thing the German record champions could not convert their superiority into goals was the Japanese. In the end, the result was held on to. “That was the first time we really started to sweat. So the relief was all the greater when the final whistle sounded,” said assistant coach Whenett in an interview with kicker eSport.
The final was not quite as nerve-wracking, but still exciting – again against an opponent from Germany. RB Leipzig duelled with Yokohama F. Marinos for the title. “We have to watch out for Benjamin Sesko in particular,” Goly analyzed in the live stream. But even Sesko was unable to throw ‘Svonn’ and his assistant off track. In the end, the score was a confident 2-0 and the club won the Club World Cup in their offline career.
“It’s like a penalty shootout”
In the head-to-head race with Turkey to advance, the DFB duo managed to gain a significant advantage. Also because the Turks made a serious mistake. While Germany marched from round to round, head coach Cafer Arslan and his assistant Emre Öztürk took a break. “When I saw that, I was sure we would win. It’s like a penalty shootout – it’s better to lead than to have to follow on,” said assistant coach Tery Whenett to kicker eSport.
And he was right. The pressure on Turkey was apparently too high – they were eliminated in the round of 16. As predicted beforehand, the Club World Cup decided the outcome in Group A. Three points were awarded for each subsequent round reached, and ten for winning the cup. That means that five points became a 24-point lead for Germany.
Mathematically, anything was still possible, but it would have required a mistake from the DFB team. But they didn’t let it slip. In sporting terms, they got every point and are now following in the footsteps of the “Invincibles”. That’s the name given to the Arsenal team from the 2003/2004 season, which won the Premier League under Arsene Wenger without a single defeat. Speaking of Wenger: He is also the ambassador for the FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager.
With all of its successes, Germany is certainly the favorite going into the final day. Not least because of the funny moments at the press conference, but also because of the successes, the focus is on Goly and Whenett. A burden? “No, we deliberately provoked the barbs at the press conferences – knowing that we are above all doubt in sporting terms,” explained Whenett.
Former Chelsea star draws traditional duel
Meanwhile, it’s time to say goodbye to Yokohama F. Marinos. The final round will be played in draft mode – just like the German qualifier. In this, according to Whenett, “even more chance and luck of the match played a role.” The draw has already been made to determine who Germany will face in the semi-finals. Former England international John Terry drew the traditional duel between Germany and England – Sven Goly will face Arron Falloon.
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In the second semi-final, Enzo Bente from South Africa and Ichsan Taufiq from Indonesia will play against each other. It starts on Sunday at 2 p.m. – this time it will be broadcast on FIFAe’s Twitch Channel. The content creator BadeschlappenLP offers on Twitch a German co-stream.
