Germany celebrated a perfect World Cup debut against Curacao – despite a moment of shock. After the interim equalizer by Livano Comenencia (18th minute), Nico Schlotterbeck put the DFB team on the right track to 7:1 (3:1) with his goal to make it 2-1 (38th minute). Lukas Nmecha opened the scoring (6th), followed by Kai Havertz (45th + 3/88th), Jamal Musiala (47th), Nathaniel Brown (68th) and Deniz Undav (78th).
For a moment, the memory of the terrible World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022 came back, when the group was eliminated. Comenencia created a historic moment for Curacao when he scored the country’s first goal at a World Cup with the country’s second shot on goal. People from and on the Caribbean island cheered, while the DFB team was shocked. Fortunately, only for a few minutes.
Schlotterbeck’s head and biceps help the DFB team
Comenencia’s shot, deflected by Joshua Kimmich, equalized what had previously been a very one-sided game. Nmecha had given the German team an early lead (6th) after a one-two with Florian Wirtz, after which the favorite failed to ensure clear conditions early on – despite a large number of clear chances to score. The relief was all the greater when Schlotterbeck took the lead again with a header from a corner from the strong Brown (38th).
For the previously ailing DFB returnee Manuel Neuer, who is now the oldest German World Cup player in history, the term “calf of the nation” was used again – Schlotterbeck showed the “bicep of the nation” after his goal. Because even if it became a more than clear number afterwards, this moment was the decisive one of the game.
Musiala succeeds sense of achievement, that he needed
The goal gave coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team security again and pushed away the bad memories of the last two World Cup tournaments – and so Germany regularly overwhelmed the opposing defense again and scored a third time before the break. Nmecha was fouled in the penalty area and Havertz showed that he is an absolute bencher from the penalty spot (45th + 3) – the DFB striker has only missed one of 23 penalty kicks in his career.
Curacao’s resistance was broken – and the break didn’t change that. Because it only took 67 seconds after the restart for the ball to be in the underdog’s net again. Joshua Kimmich sent on Musiala, who got a very important sense of achievement for the rest of the tournament with his low shot into the far corner (47th). After his long injury, the football artist at FC Bayern Munich sparked discussions – moments like this are the best way to combat it.
Sané without Fortune, Brown crowns a strong performance
The score was clear, but it should have been much clearer by then. Among other things, Leroy Sané missed a few top chances, for example when he was free in the 63rd minute and still missed the goal without being forced. This scene was an example of how the efficiency up to this point had left something to be desired. Germany has had 22 shots on goal to date, most of them from top positions – but despite the result, the return was too low.
Brown, who couldn’t be stopped at all from the left side, changed that with his goal to make it 5-1. Deniz Undav, who had just been substituted, led in the best cunning manner and the Frankfurt player used this assist volley with his weaker right foot (68th). Before the 1-0, Brown was already decisively involved, he prepared the 2-1, before the 3-1 he crossed to the fouled Nmecha and now the goal – the left-back was the man of the game.
Undav as a joker with a goal and two assists
Nagelsmann then replaced Brown – but that didn’t change the German goal mood. Curacao couldn’t manage anything, seemed completely weak and so the DFB team was even allowed to combine again and again in the opponent’s penalty area. This was also the case at 6:1, when Kimmich passed it across to Undav, who scored from close range (78th). And Germany’s noble joker struck again – but again as a provider. After his through pass, Havertz scored his brace with a lob (88′).
Due to the World Cup format, Germany will hardly be able to progress after this huge victory, but the much more difficult tasks against the Ivory Coast (June 20th, 10 p.m.) and Ecuador (June 25th, 10 p.m.) will be a real test of the DFB team’s form. After all, they didn’t come here to clearly defeat an exotic team like Curacao, but rather, according to their own statements, to become world champions.