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National football team before the 2022 World Cup: can they actually become world champions?

2022-06-15T12:51:14.538Z


The German national team has made progress under Hansi Flick, they can compete internationally again. Is that enough – five months before the World Cup – for the title?


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Thomas Müller is not lacking in determination

Photo: Martin Meissner / AP

Manuel Neuer is to blame for the fact that there was a lot of talk about a rocket these days around the national team.

For the game against Italy, the goalkeeper said they wanted to "ignite a rocket" again, and the journalists were happy to pick up on something like that.

The subsequent 5:2 over the Italians in Mönchengladbach was actually more than just table fireworks, but to stay with the picture: A good five months before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, the rocket national team is still on the launch pad.

The ground staff has recently done a lot for your good flight.

But whether she will take off is a question just as difficult to answer after those four Nations League games in June as before.

The victory over Italy was interpreted everywhere as an encouragement.

Finally the chances were converted, the offensive was effective, five goals have never been scored against Italy.

The national coach said that you can now go into the summer break "with a great feeling".

The Italy game was good timing

At least the timing was right, the victory over the Azzurri came at the right time and covered up some of what hadn't gone so well before.

At the next games in September, you will "still have to tweak a few things," and that's how Hansi Flick is, to put it cautiously.

Assessing what three draws and one win against opponents Italy, England and Hungary are worth depends to a large extent on how one views this team.

Confident tones have been coming from the team itself for weeks.

Manuel Neuer has given the goal of the world title, so far no other player has contradicted him.

DFB director Oliver Bierhoff has repeatedly emphasized that they see themselves among the best in the world.

If you apply this yardstick, then the balance is rather restrained.

Despite the five goals against Italy, it takes a lot of imagination to imagine a storm with Timo Werner and Leroy Sané ready for the title.

And Neuer had to risk life and limb in defense in these four games to prevent goals.

He did so with his own bravado.

You have to rely on Neuer

Being able to rely on a goalkeeper, even if he is now 36, is reassuring.

But the games also showed that you have to rely on the goalkeeper.

This team is a collection of highly talented players: Kai Havertz and Serge Gnabry are attacking players with all the qualities, even if they still depend too much on their form on the day.

Flick is also still hoping for the return of the seriously injured Florian Wirtz, probably the greatest talent that German football currently has.

But in all the games, even in the Mönchengladbach gala, which is so good to watch, there have been moments when the entire yield is at stake - there aren't any games yet, the games where after ten minutes you feel: Okay, the team cannot lose this game.

It is precisely the self-confidence that carried the Löw-Elf through the tournament in 2014.

And the Löw gambled away in the years that followed.

Also Klostermann as a winner

İlkay Gündoğan, Jonas Hofmann, David Raum - they played their way to the fore in these two Nations League weeks.

If you like, you can also include Lukas Klostermann from Leipzig, whose main feature is his inconspicuousness.

Hardly anyone writes about Klostermann, but he was extremely solid in his defensive duties in the games against England and Italy.

Benedikt Höwedes filled this part in the 2014 world champion team. Klostermann can become Flicks Höwedes.

Where there are winners, there are also losers, that is inherent in football.

The new Dortmunder Nico Schlotterbeck had a hard time, but the expectations of him were also very high.

He made sure of that with his performances in the Bundesliga, but he probably put himself under too much pressure.

Leroy Sané was very keen against Italy, you could tell how much he wanted to make up, but he still missed too much.

Full-back Thilo Kehrer, previously placed under Flick, has lost his indispensability in these four games.

Leon Goretzka could not substantiate his claim to the place next to Kimmich.

Karim Adeyemi was not in the squad twice and otherwise only got short appearances.

The axis is standing

The picture of who Flick relies on and who doesn't is slowly becoming clearer.

New in goal, that's clear, Antonio Rüdiger, the increasingly confident central defender, Joshua Kimmich on the six, Thomas Müller in front, these are the four players who have to worry the least about whether they will be set up or not.

Niklas Süle has scored plus points as Rüdiger's next-door man, and based on the current status it can be assumed that he will be Flick's second central defender.

After an unbeaten year under their new national coach, the national team has taken steps forward, they have reconciled with the German audience, and that shouldn't be underestimated either.

The team is again able to satisfaction internationally.

She is not yet a candidate for the world title.

Nobody should expect that from her.

Source: spiegel

All sports articles on 2022-06-15

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