At this point, Torgranate editor Johannes Götze looks very personally at the World Cup every day in his column “Make it! It does!
Very briefly, for a very brief moment, at this point I had tended to think back to the match against Germany. But I was shown a normal yellow card in our round at Doppelkopf for too many late cards. And yet: the first average blue of the World Cup is in me, I won’t hide it after the disappointing start of the national team. That’s why I want to retrace the beautiful and extraordinary things of the first five days of the World Cup. In order not to spoil the atmosphere for the tournament even more for you and me.
Johannes Götze on Lionel Messi: Career shouldn’t end with a qualifying round
The Canadians: a team that has never scored a goal at the World Cup refreshed themselves with incredible ease against Belgium. I really enjoyed the match because the Belgians, who were so experienced, were taken by surprise. It’s just that this game is the only one that has found a completely undeserved winner so far. Compassion! Also because video referees sometimes fall asleep in Doha. But: I’m a bit of a Canada fan from now on.
Argentina: for me, Lionel Messi is the most formative player of this decade. I was allowed to see him live in the stadium twice. It’s a good thing he didn’t lift the World Cup trophy in 2014. Yet I would give him that title more than any other. And then the Argentines lose to the Saudis. What an addicting game. Maybe the god in heaven (Maradona) will help the god in the square (Messi) turn around. A career like Messi’s simply cannot end with a knockout in the preliminary round.
“Japanese fans are impressive and exemplary”
The Japanese fans: Have you seen how the fans swooned after the final whistle of the coup in Germany and then actually grabbed some garbage bags to clear the stands of all the rubbish? This culture is impressive and exemplary. Of course for me too. I’ll clean up my desk first.
Our Readers: I really enjoy exchanging views on my column with many readers. Open, honest, differentiated. Not least thanks to you who can’t wait to describe my personal point of view to you every day. A thousand thanks!
The author
Johannes Götze is in love. In football. All time. Since 2014 he bears his last name with even more pride. He prefers to watch matches alone and stays away from public viewing. It would be even colder than usual this time: he has been editor of torgranate.de since 2014 and otherwise mainly deals with amateur football, which he loves more than trading a few leagues up. He doesn’t like FIFA. A competition with the best soccer players in the world. If you have any thoughts you would like to share with the author, write to him. On Facebook. On Instagram. Or by email. [email protected].
