Thursday July 22, 2021
Defeat at the beginning of the Olympics
DFB team makes Brazil tremble despite debacle
At the start of the Olympic football tournament, the German team will meet their final opponent from 2016. Defending champion Brazil overran the DFB selection in the first half and are gracious after the break. The German team is fighting its way back despite a controversial expulsion.
Bad start for the footballers: The team of DFB trainer Stefan Kuntz started the adventure of the Olympics with a 2: 4 (0: 3) defeat against top favorite Brazil. For a long time completely overwhelmed “Team D” lost the classic in the hot and humid Yokohama because it reared up too late – and is already under a lot of pressure in the fight for the quarter-finals.
Everton striker Richarlison (7th / 22nd / 30th) dismantled the Kuntz team with a lightning hat trick in the first half, goalkeeper Florian Müller also parried a hand penalty (45th + 2). Shortly after Nadiem Amiri’s goal (57th), captain Maximilian Arnold saw the yellow-red card (63rd). Ragnar Ache (83rd) caused tension for a short time, Paulinho (90th + 4) made everything clear in stoppage time. After the bankruptcy in the new edition of the lost final of 2016, the DFB team is already under pressure. On Sunday, only one win counts against the blatant outsider Saudi Arabia in order to preserve the chances of the knockout round.
“We will give the Brazilians fire,” Arne Maier had announced in advance. With evening temperatures of 31 degrees, there wasn’t much to be seen in the field. The Selecao didn’t let a DFB-Elf take the fun away from them and impressed with technically strong actions and quick counterattacks.
After just a few minutes, the strong Richarlison escaped the indisposed Amos Pieper, one of four U21 European champions in the starting eleven. In the follow-up, the Everton striker pushed in for an early lead. For the first time since 1952, a German Olympic team conceded a goal in the first seven minutes.
Ache creates tension, Paulinho takes it again
In the Yokohama International Stadium, where Germany lost the World Cup final to Brazil in 2002, the German team made far too many mistakes. Again Pieper invited Richarlison with a too short header return for the second goal, goalkeeper Florian Müller saved. Meanwhile, Kuntz stood perplexed and with his arms crossed on the edge of the field.
And it got even worse for the German rump team, which had traveled to Tokyo with only 15 field players after numerous cancellations: Richarlison was allowed to head in to 2-0 after a cross, eight minutes later he even tied the three-pack with a ball in the far corner. Recorded cheers came from the loudspeakers – due to the lack of fans, an artificial stadium atmosphere could be heard for 90 minutes.
Subsequently, the Brazilians, whose U23s, unlike the German team, have been training together for several weeks, mercilessly revealed the weaknesses of the Kuntz team. Müller prevented further disaster with a hand penalty from Herthas Matheus Cunha (45th + 2).
After the break, Amiri’s goal, which made Santos look old with a touchdown, was at least a ray of hope. Arnold’s dismissal took off again. Ache hit his head almost out of nowhere in the closing stages and once again caused tension before Paulinho removed all doubts about the Brazilian success.
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