WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

04/14 07:10 CDT Can Germany avoid another early World Cup exit in Group E against Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador? Can Germany avoid another early World Cup exit in Group E against Curacao, Ivory Coast and Ecuador? By JAMES ROBSON Associated Press Four-time World Cup champion Germany and newcomer Curacao sit at opposite ends of the global soccer spectrum. In June they will be facing each other in Group E, which also includes Ivory Coast and Ecuador. Germany will be under pressure not to fall at the first hurdle again after failing to advance from the group stage in back-to-back tournaments since winning the World Cup in 2014.

Germany Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz is at the heart of everything Germany does under coach Julian Nagelsmann. At 6-foot-6 (1.98 meters) striker Nick Woltemade is hard for defenses to handle. Meanwhile, 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl could be the tournament's breakout star. Still, conceding three goals in a 4-3 friendly win over Switzerland in March revived concerns over Germany's defensive robustness and doubts over Nagelsmann's insistence on using Real Madrid center back Antonio Rdiger as a bench player. Germany hasn't faced top-level opponents since losses to France and Portugal last year. There isn't a reliable goalkeeping successor to Manuel Neuer, either. Defender Nathaniel Brown adds an American connection. He was eligible for the United States but chose Germany, his birthplace, instead.

Curacao With a population of about 156,000, Curacao is the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup. An opening game against the mighty Germany will be a daunting introduction. Its preparations have not gone to plan after veteran Dutch coach Dick Advocaat quit in February due to his daughter's health issues. He was replaced by Fred Rutten, a former coach at FC Twente, PSV and Feyenoord in the Netherlands and Schalke 04 in Germany. Curacao, a Caribbean island country which for centuries was under Dutch colonial rule, relies heavily on players born and raised in the Netherlands.

Ivory Coast The Ivory Coast is back at the World Cup for the first time since 2014 and long after the retirement of national icons Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure. It has been a long wait for the Ivorians, having struggled without its golden generation of star players. Now a new generation has emerged, winning the African Cup of Nations in 2024 and securing a return to the World Cup by qualifying top of its group. Ivory Coast has made three previous appearances at the World Cup, but has never advanced beyond the group stage. Coach Emerse Fae was appointed midway through the 2024 AFCON and went on to lead his nation to the trophy. Manchester United forward Amad Diallo is one of the stars of the new generation.

Ecuador Moises Caicedo became the most expensive player in the history of British soccer when joining Chelsea from Brighton for $146 million in 2023. The midfielder will be key to Ecuador's hopes of advancing beyond the group stage for the first time in 20 years and only the second time in its history. It qualified in second place behind defending champion Argentina, despite starting the campaign with a three-point deduction for a false document being used to get a passport for a player during qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. Forward Enner Valencia was Ecuador's top scorer in qualifying, with six of his country's 14 goals. ___ James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson ___ AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup