Football Manager World Cup: Germany in the semi-finals

With a clean slate, Germany moves into the top 4.
FIFA via Getty Images

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.

“We were able to further strengthen the squad in terms of quality and see that we are 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 involved, though. In the semifinals, Goly and assistant Whenett’s team faced FC Bayern Munich. Although everything seemed to be going as usual after a double blow within seven in-game minutes, 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 assistants 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 has managed to gain a significant advantage. Also because the Turks made a big 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,” assistant coach Tery Whenett commented 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, ten for winning the cup. Five points were also awarded to Germany, giving them a 24-point lead.

As a result, the DFB team did not let itself down, won every point and is now following in the footsteps of the “Invicibles”. This is 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 FIFA 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 the draft, says Whenett, “even more chance and luck of the match play 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.

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 the FIFAe Twitch channel. The content creator Jonukas is offering a German co-stream on Twitch.