The start of the World Cup relieves the tension among the German national team and its national coach. The sweeping victory was very important for “internal trust,” said Nagelsmann.
Julian Nagelsmann wanted himself “sputen”to watch group opponents Ivory Coast and Ecuador play at the base camp in Winston-Salem. It was a very ambitious plan, because there were only about 2.5 hours between those words in the stadium in Houston and kick-off in Philadelphia. That’s how long the flight from the Texas metropolis to the small town in North Carolina alone takes.
But there is still a bit of time for an analysis in this huge 2026 World Cup with 48 national teams, because the German team only continues the game against Ivory Coast in Toronto on Saturday.
Germany’s footballers are already well on their way to… Round of 16
There will be regeneration training on Monday, after which the players’ families will be allowed to come to camp. It’s a good thing that the national coach is giving Tuesday a day off.
This is a fairly relaxed program that was supposedly planned in case the game against Curaçao had been closer, more exciting and perhaps even disappointing. But now, after 7:1, it’s easier to sell. The sweeping victory ultimately means that Germany has little chance of failing in the group phase of a World Cup for the third time in a row. Of the twelve third-placed teams, the eight best also make it to the round of 16.
Tournament favorite France could Round of 16 opponents become
“That might give us a little bit of security in the back of our minds.”said Nagelsmann in Houston. But the goal is still to win the group, regardless of whether the tournament favorite France could become the opponent in the round of 16.
The win against Curaçao is worrying “for conviction and trust within”. This is the first important step “then ultimately to have an external impact”especially to get the fans in Germany excited. But also unsettling the opponents a little more than in the previous two weak World Cup campaigns.
Nagelsmann’s cheering shows the tension that was weighing on him
Even though the opponent from the Caribbean is a newcomer to the World Cup, in 82nd place in the world rankings, and has many players in the squad who play for mediocre clubs in second-tier leagues, Germany was often said to be tense. After all, it was the first game of this World Cup, it was the first appearance for some players at a World Cup, and it was also a first for Julian Nagelsmann.
His celebration after the early 1-0 by Felix Nmecha and the 2-1 by Nico Schlotterbeck demonstrated the tension that had weighed on him.
Nagelsmann: “You have to score seven goals first”
Then there was that goal again, which meant that Germany conceded at least one goal in every World Cup game after the 2014 final. It was jerky for a long period of time. “We were too static”criticized Nagelsmann.
The way his game is designed, in a fairly narrow field without occupying the wings with offensive players, it requires speed, quick combinations and still precision. But little of that was visible until Schlotterbeck’s header.
In the second half it became more fluid, more dominant, better. “You have to score seven goals against Curacao first”said Nagelsmann in an interview with the Sportschau.
Now many top players are waiting for the DFB team
But it continues “Things we need to do better”said the national coach. This includes protection against counterattacks, which was neglected against the blatant outsider, probably because it is in people’s minds that it was only a blatant outsider who was waiting in the first game.
The upcoming opponents will be better, probably much better. “A lot of speed, a lot of top players”said Nagelsmann about the Ivory Coast and Ecuador, which he will then analyze in a more relaxed manner in the coming days.