A DFB-Elf playing like a different player shows what they can do: Joshua Kimmich towers in midfield, Leroy Sané runs and dribbles opponents knots in the legs and İlkay Gündoğan hits and hits. And together the team sets the most important mark.
What happened in the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena?
So that was it, the beginning of the end for Joachim Löw. In the first game after the announced resignation (after the EM in the summer) multiple times should be achieved. Of course, a successful start to the World Cup qualification for the 2022 tournament in Qatar. In addition, a successful performance, which can be interpreted as a guide for the European championship in June and strengthens self-confidence for the tournament. And the heavy burden of the 6-0 debacle in Spain should finally be shaken off.
The last game in 2020 was still a topic of conversation before the game against Iceland. It was the only defeat of the previous calendar year, but as a reminder: the last time a German team lost to Austria in 1931 was 6-0. The DFB-Elf was under pressure, a convincing result was needed – also to bring the increasingly critical fans behind them.
DFB director Oliver Bierhoff therefore called on the team to “set an example”. Well, the national team used the chance to send a very special signal before kick-off by spelling “HUMAN RIGHTS” on their T-shirts. Yesterday, the Norwegian national team had already set an example for human rights and against the injustice in the desert state at the start of the qualification for the controversial tournament in Qatar. There Erling Haaland and Co. had torn their training jackets off their bodies and proudly sent a clear World Cup message at the national anthem: “Human rights – on and next to the pitch”, it said on their shirts.
With the action, the DFB-Elf could certainly win some fans for themselves. In a representative survey commissioned by “Spiegel”, a clear majority (83 percent) had just spoken out against hosting the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and in favor of a final boycott (61 percent) of the German national team. More than 81 percent of the survey participants would also like the association to be more involved in the topic.
Well, when it came to engagement, Löw hoped (“play three games, three wins”) that a Bayern block would produce a stronger DFB team and, after Toni Kroos failed, he relied on the control center with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka. Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané should swirl in the front, plus of course the strongest kicker of the team in İlkay Gündoğan from Manchester City. Timo Werner had to make way for his Chelsea team-mate Kai Havertz. The teenagers Jamal Musiala (18) and Florian Wirtz (17), who were nominated for the first time, were also allowed to sniff the substitute bench. And at least it was possible to play, which required a report today: Due to Jonas Hofmanns’ corona case, it was not even clear until the afternoon whether the game could be kicked off.
The Löw team wanted to give a gift, as several players had said before the game. With a good European Championship tournament and a strong start to the international season, of course. That was completely successful for the national team, who played as if they had been replaced. With a dominant 3-0 (2-0) she defeated Iceland, so that the new RTL expert Uli Hoeneß let himself be carried away to compliments: “From the first minute we played at full throttle. It’s really fun to watch.”
Scheme
Germany: Neuer / Bayern Munich – Klostermann / RB Leipzig, Ginter / Borussia Mönchengladbach, Rüdiger / FC Chelsea, Can / Borussia Dortmund – Kimmich / Bayern Munich – Goretzka / Bayern Munich from 71. Neuhaus / Borussia Mönchengladbach, Gündoğan / Manchester City – Havertz / Chelsea FC from 79. Musiala / Bayern Munich, Gnabry / Bayern Munich from 86. Younes / Eintracht Frankfurt, Sané / Bayern Munich from 79. Werner / Chelsea FC. – Trainer: Loew
Iceland: Halldorsson / Valur Reykjavik – Sampsted / FK Bodö Glimt, Ingason / PAOK Saloniki, Arnason / Vikingur Reykjavik, Magnusson / CSKA Moscow – Gunnarsson / Al Arabi Doha – Bjarnason / Brescia Calcio, Sigurjonsson / CFR Cluj from 40. Albert Gudmundsson / AZ Alkmaar, Palsson / Darmstadt 98 from 89. Skulason / KV Oostende, Traustason / New England Revolution from 71. Sigurdsson / CSKA Moscow – Bödvarsson / FC Millall from 89. Sigtorsson / IFK Göteborg. – Coach: Vidarsson
Referee: Srdan Jovanovic (Serbia)
Goals: 1-0 Goretzka (3rd), 2-0 Havertz (7th), 3-0 Gündogan (56th)
Spectators: none
The lightning start victory in the feature film
3. Minute: Toooooooooooooooor for Germany. 1-0 Goretzka. Lightning start for the DFB-Elf through a Bayern combination. Goretzka moves dynamically towards the penalty area and fits Sané on the left. This finds the centrally waiting Kimmich. The six chips a fantastic ball on Gnabry, who takes off into the penalty area and returns directly to Goretzka. The midfielder pulls dry with a volley shot and completes in the right corner of the goal. Keeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson can only look after the ball.
7th minute Tooooooooooooor for Germany: 2-0 Havertz. The DFB team is serious! Gündoğan strong conquered a ball in midfield. Kimmich fits deep into the run of Sané, who runs directly from the baseline to Havertz. The man from Chelsea pulls away with the first contact with the left and shoots between two defenders into the net. It couldn’t have gone any better for Jogi’s men. It is the earliest 2-0 lead in a DFB competitive game in 52 years.
12th minute: The German national team is very aggressive and dominant here, the Icelanders hardly get any access.
13th minute: Heading chance by Goretzka after a corner. Just over.
18th minute: Kimmich plays his first bad pass.
20th minute: Nice combination of the DFB-Elf in the Icelandic penalty area, this time without earnings. Sané recaptured the ball directly afterwards.
27th minute: Out of nowhere, the first chance for the Icelanders: Bödvarsson places Sigurjonsson in the penalty area after winning a duel, whose shot is deflected and flies just past the right post.
32nd minute: A long-range shot from Havertz goes by, but Löw praises from the sideline anyway: “Yes, Kai!”
37th minute: Sané prevailed strongly against several Icelanders in the midfield, but then hit the ball at the end.
42nd minute: Kimmich tries from a distance, his shot is cleared for a corner. Rüdiger hits a ball on the flank, but heads just past the box.
Halftime
50th minute: Half-hearted conclusion from 30 meters from Traustason, of course.
55th minute: The Icelanders are now surprising with aggressive counter-pressing. The DFB-Elf does not come to terms with it yet and makes some mistakes.
56th Minute: Toooooooooooooooor for Germany. 3-0 Gündoğan. Goretzka is placed in midfield, but the referee decides on advantage. Via Gnabry, the ball comes to Gündogan, who takes a few steps and then, without humor, shoots straight into the left corner from 20 meters with a flat right. The incredible goal run of the professional from Man City continues in the national team.
65th minute: Nice combination by the Icelanders that ended in a volley. The deal turns out too central, no problem for newcomers.
70th minute: Another great chip ball from Kimmich, which Gnabry holds firmly in place with his chest. With a fine shooting technique, he volleys the ball against the post. Almost 4: 0!
78th minute: Bitter minute for all English football fans: 18-year-old Jamal Musiala is making his debut in the national team and because the game against Iceland is a competitive game, he is no longer allowed to play for any other country. The Bavarian is Löw’s 113th debutant and the youngest DFB kicker since Uwe Seeler made his debut in 1954.
87th minute: The German national team has everything under control here. Due to some changes, the flow of the game has now been lost.
Final whistle
What was good?
In November, the DFB-Elf hadn’t been able to raise the slightest resistance against playful Spaniards. This time it wasn’t against the 2010 World Champion, but the DFB team showed an impressive performance that they hadn’t seen for a long time. Very aggressively and with high intensity right from the start, the team showed that they can kick very well – where things often didn’t look good in 2020, both in terms of play and commitment. There were also beautifully played goals. Lots of low tempo runs that pull the Icelanders’ defensive chain apart again and again, plus precise balls: you hardly knew that from the national kickers any more.
The strength in counter-pressing was also particularly noticeable. Balls that were lost for a short time were immediately recaptured. This is what happened, for example, at 2-0 when Gündoğan won a ball. All offensive forces did well on this point. In the second half there weren’t too many chances to score, but the team was still dominant and confident. And above all, there was finally life in the game again. Finally there was loud communication on the square again. The team looked almost like a different one. And Löw joined in cheerfully: “Clean balls,” he demanded; “Switch over faster,” he ordered; “Between the lines, Kai,” he called to Havertz.
The national coach wanted the basics to be implemented and told RTL what it was about before the game: “Running, fighting duels, the right intensity.” That worked perfectly. Looking back on the embarrassment in Spain, Löw was also concerned with bigger things: “Organization, compactness, defending in a group, avoiding ball losses in the game, but still playing courageously.” The DFB-Elf functioned here too, especially thanks the central tangent Kimmich-Gündoğan-Goretzka (see next point).
What was better than good?
The midfield. Especially Joshua Kimmich (90 ball contacts in the first half alone) organized the game before the defense and steered the game. The six picked up the balls from the defenders in the back, pulled the strings with wonderful chip passes together with Gündogan in a world-class manner. The game showed again today that the Bavarian cannot be replaced (was missing in the disaster against Spain). How in the technically (Gündoğan and Kimmich) and combative (Goretzka) strong midfield Rio World Champion Kroos will still find a place remains questionable. “Jogi Löw will be spoiled for choice,” said the new RTL expert Uli Hoeneß in the reporting.
What was bad
The game of the Icelanders with the ball. After the briefest periods of possession, the play equipment was usually gone straight away. They didn’t dare to play from behind. In the second half, however, the DFB-Elf was too cautious. When she came under pressure for about a quarter of an hour while pressing the Icelanders, she could not break free as one would expect from a world-class team.
That’s what those involved said
Joachim Löw (national coach): “For the most part I am already satisfied, we started very energetically and dynamically. We wanted to set an example straight away. The team had the right attitude from the start. Overall, the victory was sovereign, we allowed few chances In the second half we played too many passes backwards. A 3-0 is sovereign, but of course I see room for improvement in our game. “
Leon Goretzka (goal scorer to 1-0): “I’m just happy to do my part. We have made it our goal that you can see the passion on the pitch. That we all really appreciate being able to play for our country. We really wanted to get emotions in. That you can see in front of the television that there are eleven guys on the pitch who are really up for it. That worked out well. “
İlkay Gündoğan (3-0 scorer): “It was important to start the game well. We let the ball run well, it was a reaction. But I think we should have a yardstick for ourselves. We have a certain responsibility because we have the quality to do it. That is how we approached the game and of course we are happy that we won 3-0. “
.