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By Tyler Erzberger
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Group E is in the books, and though Germany are heading into the Round of 32 as the winners of the quartet, their fans aren't as happy as they were when they woke up on Thursday.
How does the second winningest nation in World Cup history do in terms of grading heading into the knockouts?
Let's take a deeper look.
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Expectation
As usual, Germany came in as one of the nations looked at as one of the few teams who could win it all this summer in North America. While they failed to make it out of the past two group stages at the World Cup, the amount of talent on the roster was expected to carry them through this year's iteration at least for a few rounds.
Germany were expected to have no issues with the first two teams in the group before possibly having issues against Ecuador, the defensive wizards that have stymied even the most talented teams down in South America.
Reality
Germany won the group, but was it that impressive?
They crushed the minnows Curacao 7-1, yet that isn't anything to write home about. In the second game against Ivory Coast, they might have been against the run of play for most of it, but found a way to win in the end. And then in their finale, they started their best lineup even though they already clinched first in the group, and let Ecuador come from behind to not only make the knockouts but beat them.
Germany is talented, yet there feels like there is some sort of creativity lacking from them in the final third. Youngster Lennart Karl, who got injured right before their first game of the World Cup, is a bigger absence than I once thought. Germany could still shake it off and win it all with the players they have, but a possible date with France in the Round of 16 frightens even the most optimistic German supporter.
Final Grade: B-
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