Curacao’s “Copper Wall and Iron Bastion”—Can the legendary coach Advocaat create surprises?

Although Curacao’s overall strength is not strong, they also have highlights. Head coach Advocaat is an old veteran coach with extremely rich experience. He led South Korea to the 2006 World Cup and guided Russia to the semifinals of the 2008 European Championship. With a veteran of this caliber leading a new team, Curacao’s tactical discipline likely won’t be too bad.

Against Germany, Advocaat’s only option is to park the bus—set up a five-defender back line, retreat all the way, and use numerical advantage to make up for shortcomings in individual ability. Do your utmost to keep the match level for as long as possible. If they can hold out for 0-0 until halftime, and even avoid conceding a goal within 60 minutes, the German players’ mindset may become anxious, leading to a higher rate of errors in passing and play control. If Curacao can take the chance to launch one or two counterattacks, create some threats, or even nick a goal, then this match will become extremely interesting.

In Curacao’s defensive back line, the central defender is Bazoer, who has previously played in the Bundesliga. He should be relatively familiar with German football and can provide his teammates with some targeted defensive suggestions. Captain Bakuna’s interceptions and experience in midfield are also important pillars of Curacao’s defense. In goal, Eloy Room, although he plays in Major League Soccer’s second tier, is experienced.

However, whether the park-the-bus tactic can work depends on two prerequisites: first, the defenders must avoid making basic mistakes for 90 minutes; second, the goalkeeper must deliver an above-superior performance. Curacao’s defenders made frequent errors in warm-up matches against China and Scotland, and under the massive pressure against Germany, the possibility of not making mistakes is extremely low.

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