DOHA, Qatar -- There's a 1980s Richard Pryor movie called "The Toy," in which Jackie Gleason's character delivers a speech to his son about the difference between "truth" and "reality." Four decades later, Germany boss Hansi Flick may want to do the same thing.
The "truth" of their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Japan is that they dominated possession (74% to 26%), put together more than 2.4 expected goals (plus a converted penalty), forced a couple great saves from Japan keeper Shuichi Gonda, hit the woodwork twice and had their finishing been better, they would have been home free before Japan's rousing second-half comeback.