Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has expressed frustration over FIFA's World Cup scheduling format, saying his side is being 'punished for winning the group.'
Despite a 2-1 defeat in their final group stage match against Ecuador, Die Mannschaft had been assured of qualification to the Round of 32 after winning their first two games.
As Group E table-toppers, they will face a third-placed team from Group A, B, C, D, or F in Boston on Monday, June 29, but their opponents will not be confirmed until the final fixtures of all groups conclude on Saturday night.
The logistical headache will be greater for their eventual opponents, who will need to travel to Boston at short notice. Germany are thus relatively better off as they already know the venue of their knockout fixture.
Nagelsmann was unable to hold back his frustration when addressing reporters, saying, 'I don't think it's ideal that you're somewhat punished for winning the group. I'm not a big fan of it.'
He also revealed that the team's analysts had already begun profiling their various possible opponents, so that the German team has at least a small headstart and a basic level of preparation.
As it stands, as per prediction models by The New York Times, Germany's most likely opponent is Paraguay. Other third-placed teams that could potentially be drawn against the European heavyweights are South Korea, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Scotland, Australia and Sweden.
