Thursday March 25, 2021
Goals, force, fun against Iceland
DFB-Elf shows strong reaction after the Spain debacle
Precision, deep runs, counter-pressing, goals: the German national soccer team clearly wins the start of the international match year and the World Cup qualification against Iceland. Especially in the first half, the DFB-Elf convinced Joachim Löw’s first game after the announcement of his resignation.
Dream start after the corona shock: Joachim Löw made a perfect start to his last adventure. The sovereign 3-0 (2-0) of the German national soccer team against outsider Iceland was balm on the painful wound in Spain – and on the long way to Qatar immediately the hoped-for clear sign. Playful class, the fastest lightning start with two goals in a competitive game for 52 years and a clear message to the controversial World Cup host on the human rights issue: The great uncertainty after Jonas Hofmann’s positive Corona test in the morning was during the easy gallop into the EM Year not felt in any phase.
“We let the ball run well, created opportunities. We have a certain responsibility because we have the quality,” said İlkay Gündoğan on RTL. Leon Goretzka said: “The early goals played into our cards and did our game good. We brought the passion to play for our country on the pitch.” Löw praised after the end of the game: “We started very energetically and dynamically. The team had the right attitude, the win was sovereign. But of course I see room for improvement in our game.”
Goretzka (3rd), Kai Havertz (7th) and Gündoğan (56th) met in Duisburg for the DFB selection that appeared to be transformed. And the national coach Löw, who was still so lethargic in Seville in November, coached on the sidelines again as committed as he did during the best world championship times. “From the very first minute we played at full throttle. It’s really fun to watch,” praised the new RTL expert Uli Hoeneß at the break.
During the line-up for the national anthems, each player wore a black T-shirt with a white letter – together the strong message was: “HUMAN RIGHTS”. “We want to make it clear to society that we are not ignoring this, but rather making it very clear which conditions must prevail,” said Goretzka: “We wrote the letters on them ourselves. We have a wide range – and we can use them wonderfully to create symbols to set for the values we want to stand for. That was clear. “
“Showpiece” dominates midfield
Shortly afterwards, the team around the rarely tested captain Manuel Neuer was immediately there for the kick-off. Gerd Müller and Wolfgang Overath, who only needed five minutes to score two goals in the World Cup qualification in May 1969 against Cyprus (12-0), scored faster than Goretzka and Havertz. Lots of movement even without the ball, constant readiness, great will: the DFB team followed Löw’s words with deeds. “The need to show that we are better than in Spain is huge for me – with the players too,” the national coach, who left in the summer, emphasized again shortly before the game.
And although six players started who were also in the starting line-up in the historic 6-0 disgrace in Seville, his team played as if they had been changed. The preparation was not only disrupted by Hofmann’s test. Like the man from Gladbach, Marcel Halstenberg was not available after a “stupid backgammon game” (DFB director Oliver Bierhoff) with Hofmann. Previously, Rio world champions Toni Kroos, Niklas Süle and Robin Gosens had to pass. Bayern youngster Jamal Musiala (79th) made his debut as a joker.
Löw did not want to “complain” anyway – and conjured up a somewhat surprising line-up: Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann gave a very offensive right-back, Dortmund’s Emre Can had to play on the unfamiliar left. Before that, the midfield, praised by Hoeneß as a “showpiece”, dominated the staid Vikings. The omnipresent boss Joshua Kimmich, who had been sorely missed in Spain, initiated the first two goals with surgically precise passports.
In the 1-0 as well as in the 2-0 he found a Munich teammate in Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané who played for the goalscorer. After the opening goal, Goretzka proudly patted the eagle on the new black away shirt. After the direct acceptance from the back of Havertz, who was allowed to start instead of Chelsea colleague Timo Werner, Löw clapped with raised hands. He didn’t like one or the other minor phase of weakness in the second half. But this time Löw intervened courageously and corrected loudly. Gnabry listened carefully – and hit the post (70th).
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