DFB embarrassment against Japan: did you expect anything else?
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Created: 11/23/2022, 7:04 p.m
By: Florian Schimak
Germany loses its World Cup opening game against Japan - and is already on the verge of the end.
The development in German football does not come as a surprise.
Munich – Sure, it's actually difficult to talk about sporting things at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
One Love, FIFA, Human Rights.
All themes that take on dramatic proportions in this all-around odd desert tournament.
Somehow one had hoped that on Wednesday afternoon from 2 p.m. the focus could finally be on sport again.
At least for 90 minutes.
The mouth-to-mouth gesture of the DFB stars before kick-off could have served as a kind of starting signal towards sportiness – and maybe even should have.
DFB embarrassment against Japan: wasn't the goal the world title?
However, after the first appearance of the Flick-Elf in a 1: 2 against Japan, the desire for the DFB team has already passed – and for the World Cup anyway.
65 minutes was okay what Joshua Kimmich and Co. showed against Japan at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al-Rayyan.
But what happened then must not happen to a team that recently said that the goal must be the world title!
Germany's squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
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Of course you had a handful of good opportunities against busy Japanese.
Of course, the game would have been different if Jamal Musiala had successfully completed one of his dribbles or if Serge Gnabry had scored one of his numerous chances in the opponent's box.
But Bastian Schweinsteiger is right when he says on ARD after the game: "The defeat shows where we stand.
This is no coincidence.”
World Cup 2022: Germany only average – you have to admit that
A once great football nation is sinking into mediocrity, you just have to face it.
At the moment, German football is no better than Japan.
Or Hungary.
The last tournaments just showed that.
The 2018 World Cup and the historic preliminary round were still labeled as an industrial accident, but at the latest after the elimination in the European Championship round of 16 against England it became clear: It's just not enough for the top.
The mistakes are in the details and also in the past, but maybe you should show a little more humility at the DFB.
Serge Gnabry had enough chances to score against Japan.
© IMAGO / Agencia MexSport
The fact is that the DFB team has not been able to dominate opponents over 90 minutes for four years.
Even teams from the supposedly second category can no longer dominate, let alone conquer.
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Embarrassing embarrassment against Japan: DFB team threatens the World Cup on Sunday
DFB team before another early World Cup - development was foreseeable
You only have to look at the last appearances of the German national team in the Nations League.
These were actually clear enough.
But maybe the DFB is too convinced of itself?
Hansi Flick's team is not lacking in class at the top.
With Jamal Musiala.
Leroy Sané, Kai Havertz or Joshua Kimmich you have players who have the level for the world class.
It pushes other bodies.
You don't have a player in attack who reliably guarantees goals, nor do you have a back four that doesn't burn anything.
Ultimately, it's not about the 26 men that Flick has now taken with him to Qatar.
It's basically about German football.
This has been in free fall since the triumph in Rio in 2014 because there are blatant quality weaknesses in many areas.
Thus, a possible repeated elimination of a German national team's preliminary round at a World Cup tournament is no longer historical.
(smk)
