Victory on Nagelsmann’s debut
Happy in Hartford
By Heiko Oldörp
October 15, 2023, 6:27 a.m
Three beautifully played goals, great combinations and clearly having fun with football. Julian Nagelsmann’s debut as national coach could hardly have been better. His combination of young and old could actually cause EM euphoria.
That was fun. That was really good to see. And that could definitely cause euphoria back home in Germany. The 3-1 victory of the German national football team in Hartford against the USA was everything that those responsible at the DFB had hoped for from this game.
New coach, new drive, new vibe. There were German national players in their white jerseys on the football field at Rentschler Field in Hartford on Saturday afternoon who were really in the mood. Who enjoyed playing football. And they indicated how much potential they have.
“We played passionate football”
“We wanted to take a step forward – and I think we did that,” said Jamal Musiala, summing up the performance in front of 37,743 spectators. “We played decent football, passionate football, proper counter-pressing. There were a few phases in the game that just glided along,” said Julian Nagelsmann happily.
205 days after his dismissal from FC Bayern Munich, the 36-year-old celebrated a successful debut as the twelfth national coach/team boss of the German national team. And he had chosen a very special outfit for his first appearance on the sidelines. Other coaches sometimes resort to fine thread for such occasions, Nagelsmann wore a lumberjack shirt – open.
Refreshing, confident style of play
But that was only secondary this afternoon. The focus was on the German team’s refreshing, self-confident style of play – and a victory that could have been even bigger. “We only had four days of training, but the game was very good,” said Musiala.
There was a lot of work during the four days of training in Foxborough, but also a lot of laughter. There was a good mix of tension and relaxation. Some Bundesliga officials had criticized the trip to the USA in the middle of the season, but perhaps it was a good thing that the 26 players had this training camp almost 6,000 kilometers from home. Pretty undisturbed on two grass fields somewhere in the middle of nowhere in Massachusetts. Where no one knew them apart from the German press who had traveled with them.
Mixture of young and old
Whether something like a new team spirit has emerged in this small town of 18,000 remains to be seen in the coming months. But if the game against the USA was an indication of what could be possible, then the German fans can definitely look forward to the near future under Nagelsmann after the many disappointments of the past few years.
The new national coach relies on old and young. He fielded the two 20-year-olds Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz in the attacking midfield, who successfully implemented the direct, offensive football he aimed for, especially in the early stages. “I love playing with Flo. We are a good team on the pitch, we both look for each other,” emphasized Musiala.
Hummels comeback after two and a half years
And Nagelsmann brought Mats Hummels back into the four-man defense chain after almost two and a half years. The Dortmund player was not without mistakes in his comeback, but at the same time he radiated an unmistakable presence with his stature. And even Thomas Müller, like Hummels, now 34 years old, showed in his ten minutes of playing time that he can be a useful attacking alternative. Nagelsmann attested to the Bayern striker’s “three world-class actions”.
But he still can’t get past Füllkrug at the moment. The New Dortmund player made it 2-1 in the 58th minute and shortly afterwards served Musiala to make it 3-1. Füllkrug had a few scenes at the beginning in which he couldn’t control the ball properly. He also left “one hundred percent” unused in the 22nd minute. “That’s also mental strength when you have the feeling that the ball doesn’t want to go in at the moment. To end up leaving the game with a goal and an assist isn’t that bad either,” said Füllkrug.
Gündogan – captain and finally leader
The fact that things went better in the second half, Germany scored two goals and created many more chances, was due to a tactical change by Nagelsmann. He let his team advance “as a closed block in the opponent’s half.” Füllkrug spoke of adjusting the “pressing line”. As a result, the DFB selection “had much more control over the game and had much more possession of the ball in their own ranks,” said the 30-year-old.
And with Ilkay Gündogan, Germany not only had a captain, but this time also a real leader on the pitch. The 32-year-old, who has been playing for FC Barcelona since this season, had often played great games for Manchester City in the past, but was never able to really utilize his strengths in the national team. On Saturday, however, he not only controlled the defensive midfield – working well with his strong partner Pascal Groß – but also repeatedly intervened offensively and scored in the 39th minute to make it 1-1.
Nagelsmann certified that Gündogan had an “outstanding game”. The national coach emphasized at his press conference before the game that he wanted his players to go to bed after the US game and say, “That was fun.” Not everything was perfect yet, said Füllkrug. “But the second half was a lot of fun.”