In 58 days, the first World Cup game for the German national soccer team is coming up. Although the team of national coach Hansi Flick has improved compared to Hungary’s bankruptcy in the last Nations League game against England, they are again showing massive uncertainty. There is not much time left for a lot of work.
What is Wembley Stadium about?
It’s about nothing less than Hansi Flick’s reputation, the reputation of the German national soccer team and the restoration of all optimistic expectations for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar! Well, all overloads aside. To be honest, it’s about nothing at all. Everything has already been decided in the Nations League group A3. With the defeat against Hungary, the DFB team missed out on entering the final tournament on Friday, England has already been relegated to League B after losing to Italy.
But eight weeks before the first kick-off in Qatar, Flick and his team really have to present themselves more lively and with more enthusiasm than on Friday with the lame kick against Hungary in Leipzig. They can also use the opportunity to justify the record bonus they negotiated for the tournament. Every DFB player would receive a bonus of 400,000 euros if they won the World Cup – 50,000 euros more than in 2018. “It was agreed on what was also paid for EURO 2021, so no increase,” defended DFB director Oliver Bierhoff before the kick-off on RTL. As is well known, in the game against Hungary it didn’t look like there was even a tiny chance of a big win. Are we back to the benefit of the game for the DFB team: soothe fans and make them optimistic for the World Cup.
teams and goals
England: Pope/Newcastle United (30 years/10 internationals) – Stones/Manchester City (28/59) from 37. Walker/Manchester City (32/70), Dier/Tottenham Hotspur (28/47), Maguire/Manchester United (29 /48) – James/FC Chelsea (22/15), Bellingham/Borussia Dortmund (19/17) from 90.+1 Jordan Henderson/FC Liverpool (32/70), Rice/West Ham United (23/37), Shaw/Manchester United (27/23) – Foden/Manchester City (22/18) from 66. Saka/Arsenal (21/20), Kane/Tottenham Hotspur (29/75), Sterling/Chelsea (27/79 ) from 66. Mount/Chelsea (23/32). – Trainer: Southgate
Germany: ter Stegen/FC Barcelona (30 years/30 internationals) – Kehrer/West Ham United (26/22), Süle/Borussia Dortmund (27/42), Schlotterbeck/Borussia Dortmund (22/5), Raum/RB Leipzig (24 /11) from 68. Gosens/Inter Milan (28/14) – Kimmich/Bayern Munich (27/70), Gündogan/Manchester City (31/62) – Hofmann/Borussia Mönchengladbach (30/16) from 46. Werner/ RB Leipzig (26/55), Musiala/Bayern Munich (19/17) from 79. Müller/Bayern Munich (33/118), Sane/Bayern Munich (26/47) from 68. Gnabry/Bayern Munich (27/36 ) – Havertz/Chelsea (23/30) from 90.+1 Bella Kotchap/Southampton (20/1). – Coach: Flick
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
Gates: 0: 1 Gündogan (52′, penalty kick after video evidence), 0: 2 Havertz (67′), 1: 2 Shaw (72′), 2: 2 Mount (75′), 3: 2 Kane (83′, penalty kick after Video proof), 3: 3 Havertz (87.)
The game in the feature film
Before kick-off: First an impressively quiet minute’s silence for the late Queen Elizabeth II, then a loud “God save the King”.
12 minutes: That was just over it: Ilkay Gündogan simply shoots in the middle from about 20 meters away. Jamal Musiala had previously successfully attacked goalkeeper Nick Pope and passed the ball to Jonas Hofmann, who forwarded it to the Man City captain.
17 minutes: David Raum’s offensive run is suddenly interrupted by Reece James, who brings down the winger just outside the penalty area. Leroy Sané takes the free kick, but his shot gets stuck in the wall.
25 minutes: Best advertisement by Marc-André ter Stegen for himself! After a quick counterattack by England, Raheem Sterling is only gently accompanied in front of the German goalkeeper. But this steers the shot away from the goal. And also in such a way that he stays in the field, there is not even a corner for England.
26 minutes: Now England is turning up. After the German eleven combined better in the initial phase, there are now several chances for the hosts. Crosses, shots and corners don’t come through decisively, but the German defense swims.
44 minutes: The increase in chances on the English side is now clear. But Ter Stegen is there again – Hofmann can thank his goalkeeper for that. The Gladbacher loses the ball near the penalty area, Sterlin takes a half-left shot from an acute angle. But the ball lands in Ter Stegen’s arms.
45.+2 minutes: Suddenly Joshua Kimmich pulls from a good 20 meters, actually giving the Germans the best chance in the first half. His shot in the flat left corner just missed the post.
halftime: 65 percent possession, but the better shots are from England. The DFB team finds it difficult against opponents who are good at the back, is too imprecise and unsorted in the penalty area in front of goalkeeper Pope.
51 minutes: GOOOOORRR for Germany!!! 0:1 A penalty goal by Gündogan brings the first goal of the evening. After the detour via the VAR and assessment by referee Makkelie, he is on point. Harry Maguire clears Jamal Musiala with a hit on the ankle, the game continues for the time being. Until Danny Makkelie is asked to the edge of the field. Gündogan then safely and ripped off with a slide into the lower right corner.
59 minutes: There was more in it! Timo Werner gets a good chance because his opponent Eric Dier falls and he has space. But instead of finishing directly, he chooses a cross pass in the middle – without success.
62 minutes: Werner does it better – but not perfectly. Musiala sends in steeply, but the Leipzig player pulls the shot just past the right of the goal.
67 minutes: GOOOOORRR for Germany!!! 0:2 Dream goal by Kai Havertz! The England legionnaire pulls well from the edge of the penalty area, his emotional inside instep shot bounces off the left inside post for Pope into the goal. This was preceded by Musiala winning the ball in midfield – against the much more powerful Maguire, a very good effort.
72 minutes: GOOOOORRR for England!!! 1:2 Luke Shaw is suddenly completely free to the left of ter Stegen and slides in. Süle tries to save the ball in front of the line, but slides into the goal like the ball. The high cross from James goes through to the free Shaw, who no DFB player has an eye on.
75 minutes: GOOOOORR for England!!! 2:2 Now the atmosphere in the stadium is there and the DFB team serves. Mason Mount hits to equalize, slams the ball impressively from the edge of the box into the top right corner.
81 minutes: The lead for the Three Lions by a hair’s breadth! Harry Kane has already raised his hands in celebration, but the ball flies into the side netting.
82 minutes: GOOOOORRR for England!!! 3:2 Now Kane does it from the penalty spot. Dry and with a lot of oomph in the left corner. Game turned, Wembley upside down and reconciled with his national team. Nico Schlotterbeck caused a penalty a few minutes ago, hitting his Dortmund club colleague Jude Bellingham in the ankle. The game continues until Makkelie is asked to VAR again. Equalizer after penalties, but England lead.
87 minutes: GOOOOORR for Germany!!! 3:3. The DFB team is still alive. At least Havertz proves that he still has spirits. In his adopted country, he scores out of nowhere for the second time that evening. The Chelsea offensive man benefits from a blunder by Popes, who deflects a fluttering shot from Gnabry forward. Havertz pokes the ball into the goal.
90 minutes: The draw is not over yet, England want to win. But Saka, who appears free in front of the goal, fails at ter Stegen. The goalkeeper, who is in a good mood, has his fingers on it again.
90th + 6 minutes: final whistle Tie after excitement and wild kick at Wembley.
What is good?
The DFB team has a good goalkeeper. This news is really not a world sensation, but Marc-André ter Stegen represents the corona-infected Manuel Neuer excellently. Time and time again he still has his fingers on the ball, defusing the English team’s best chances to score. The Barcelona keeper received special praise from Flick for having “played a super good game”.
Musiala also deserves praise for bringing a breath of fresh air against his old homeland – after all, he also played for English teams. Opponents can’t always follow his quick dribbles, and his bustling movements confuse the defence. The 19-year-old also works energetically to win the ball – and thus wins the decisive ball before the 2-0.
In contrast to the Hungary game, the team as a whole is not quite as jittery and seems more motivated. More activity on the pitch means more possession of the ball, more participation in the game. Three goals are also impressive. But that’s not good for a long time.
What is bad?
But three goals are also necessary in order not to lose against an equally insecure English team. And that after a 2-0 lead that Flick’s team shouldn’t have given away. Flick complains about “individual errors”, which should not happen like this. But there is a lot of uncertainty and the defensive doesn’t have the security that a German team already had. Quite the opposite: The structure of the national team is currently extremely fragile – the Bayern misery sends greetings, as analyzed by colleague Stephan Uersfeld. The players let themselves be taken by surprise against England, lost the thread and almost conceded the second bankruptcy in a row. Only Havertz’ individual class prevents the DFB team from leaving for Qatar with the ultimate negative experience.
Without much preparation, Flick and his team have to play the first World Cup game against Japan in 58 days. Until then, a lot of good persuasion to gain self-confidence is necessary, a lot of development work – including hoping that things will go well for the German teams in the Champions League and that FC Bayern will also catch up in the Bundesliga. The joy of playing must grow from passivity, and from the immense criticism of the World Cup, the will to play a decisive role in shaping it in sporting terms.
That’s what the people involved say
Hansi Flick (national coach): “The first half was balanced, in the second we deservedly led 2-0. Then we made individual mistakes – it shouldn’t happen that we give up a lead like that. But we came back, that’s the positive thing. There are quite a bit of work for us, but we’re optimistic, otherwise we might as well stay at home.”
Joshua Kimmich: “We had everything under control and deservedly lead 2-0. Then we become much too passive, no longer push through consistently, defend far too deep, no longer have the courage to play against the ball – somehow inexplicable. But what body language and Commitment-wise, it was an improvement.”
Kai Havertz: “If you’re 2-0 up and then suddenly 2-3 down, that obviously has to worry you. We still have seven weeks to correct the mistakes. Maybe that was another good game to learn from.”
Uli Hoeneß: “All the Europeans are not in shape, neither are the French, the Spaniards, or the English. I also trust Hansi Flick, he’s an optimist and always sees the positive in everything. With good preparation, I’m convinced that the German team is in good shape against Japan.”