Germany and Portugal are set to open their respective World Cup campaigns against each other on June 16 at the Arena Fonta Nova in Salvador, Brazil. This matchup is set to be the fourth consecutive time that the two teams will meet in a major tournament. The Germans have beaten the Portuguese in their last 3 games and hold an overall record of 9 wins and 5 draws in 17 matches against “A Selecção.” This game is sure to be entertaining as both teams bolster world-class players.
The Portuguese are led into the tournament by former Sporting coach Paulo Bento, who brings with him a group of veterans as well as young and up and coming players. There were some fitness concerns over Cristiano Ronaldo, but he seems to be healthy and eager to display his master class talent to the world. I would definitely keep a close eye on 22-year old defensive midfielder William Carvalho as he is one of the world’s brightest up and comers and will be sure to raise a lot of eyebrows at this year’s tournament. Portugal always brings with them a quality squad, and will most likely offer a staunch challenge to all three of their Group G compatriots.
The Germans come into this tournament behind coach Joachim “Jogi” Loew who brings with him a German team that has had to face some questions of late. Though they came through qualifying rather easily they have had some questionable results in recent times. This includes a recent tune-up game where they tied Cameroon 2-2 in Germany. Captain Philipp Lahm recently stated via FIFA.com, “They're a very good team, especially physically. I said after the draw that we would have to give everything in the first match and play well tactically because if we don't win, we will be under a lot of pressure.” Despite the recent questions that surround the team, one thing is always for certain; the Germans know how to win football games.
Ronaldo and co. will come face to face with Lahm’s Germany on June 16 at 12PM EST and can be seen on ESPN, Univision and ESPN Deportes. For those who are stuck at work or can’t get to a TV, WatchESPN will be streaming all live games from here. If you prefer to live stream the game in Spanish, it can be seen here. Enjoy what will surely be a very entertaining match!
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