German fans in Boston eye World Cup glory, see France as a major hurdle

German fans gathered in Boston expressed confidence in their national team's ability to win their upcoming World Cup knockout match against Paraguay. However, they acknowledged that a potential next-round clash with France presents a more significant challenge.

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It’s not going to be pretty but the result will count so they will have to put up a tough fight.

"It's not going to be pretty but the result will count so they will have to put up a tough fight," said Tim Nikolayzik, a German expatriate working in finance in New York, referring to the game against Paraguay. While cautiously optimistic about Germany's chances against the South American team, who are making their first World Cup appearance in 16 years, Nikolayzik noted the team's recent inconsistent performances. Germany's tournament started with a dominant 7-1 win over Curacao, but they needed to come from behind against Ivory Coast and lost their final group game to Ecuador.

Despite acknowledging the team's current form isn't at its peak, other fans remain hopeful. Jonny Wiesinger, an HR worker from Germany, believes the team can overcome both Paraguay and France. "We are Germany so we are not scared of anyone," he stated, drawing parallels to the 2014 World Cup victory where expectations were also not sky-high. He pointed to stars like Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala but conceded that the defense needs improvement to match top teams like Spain, France, and Argentina.

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We are Germany so we are not scared of anyone.

Paraguay's coach, however, indicated that his team would look to past successes against football giants Argentina and Brazil for inspiration when they face Germany. The fans' dreams of a potential World Cup triumph, last achieved 12 years ago in Brazil, hinge on overcoming these formidable opponents.

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Of course, we have had better times (but) in 2014 nobody thought that we can win it so why shouldn’t we do it this year?