DOHA—Germany goes into their World Cup Group E opener against Japan on Wednesday knowing that this one game could potentially make or break their tournament hopes.
With 2010 world champions Spain awaiting next, the Germans cannot afford any slip-up against the Japanese and risk a potential early exit again.
The four-times champions have arrived in Qatar with a new team since their 2018 World Cup first round shock elimination. They have since changed their coach, a number of players, and even dropped their official monicker ‘Die Mannschaft.’
Those four years since the Russian debacle—their earliest World Cup exit in more than 80 years—have been far from successful, with the Germans relegated from the Nations League in 2018 before rule changes kept them alive in the competition, and then crashing out of the Euro at the Round of 16 last year….