The German national soccer team’s game against Finland provided a clear victory and insights for the starting eleven at the World Cup. It looks like a younger team than expected, because in Mainz there were point wins for Brown, Nmecha and Karl.
“Last round – 11.30 p.m.,” was what was read on a monitor in the press conference room of the Mainz stadium. Presumably the same ad could also be seen in the VIP rooms, where the broadcast of Julian Nagelsmann’s remarks on the 4-0 win against Finland ended at almost exactly this time. One of the national coach’s last sentences was: “Both could start.“That meant Nathaniel Brown and David Raum.
Room was also visible on the monitor with a notice about the last chance to place an order, for whatever reason. He looked very confident there, with his arms crossed, the way footballers like to pose. Just as it supposedly suited his role in the German national team: Here I am, number one left defender at the World Cup.
Nathaniel Brown probably thought that too. In any case, he said at the training camp in Herzogenaurach that he didn’t really care whether he would play, he was just happy to be there. The Eintracht Frankfurt defender, known to everyone as “Nene”, was considered a back-up for space. He was also considered an option in the event that Joshua Kimmich was unavailable as a right-back, because there will not be a classic second right-back on the plane that takes off to Chicago on Tuesday.
Brown is catching up – and becoming more offensive
It was surprising that Brown was on the pitch at kickoff, and even more surprising that he was there to see the final whistle blow. Although there was the possibility of replacing all eleven players, Raum remained on the bench for 90 minutes. He is therefore expected to play in the second game against Finland on Monday, which will, however, take place behind closed doors and only last 25 minutes twice. “David also had a bit of a problem“, Nagelsmann explained the preference of Brown, which he “very good at one-on-one“see who”a lot of speed” have, and the “Offensively good in the half space“can play.
Raum is someone who prefers to play closer to the outside line and also has very good sprint values. But at the end of the season he had a groin problem and he only played once in the last four matchdays in the Bundesliga, and that only part-time. Of the 30 previous games, he played 25 over 90 minutes, in one of which the captain was missing due to a yellow card suspension.
At the international matches at the end of March, Nagelsmann often explained that after “role discussions” everyone knew pretty much exactly how he was planning for the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Space was considered posited based on everything that could be heard and interpreted. But now even Brown in Mainz says: “It’s an open competition that pushes us both.“
Nmecha and Karl are also on their way to the starting eleven
Nathaniel Brown is 22 years old, six years younger than Raum. The age difference between Felix Nmecha (25) and Leon Goretzka is just as big. Here, too, the older man seemed to have the better cards, especially since Nmecha was missing for a longer period of time in the last third of the season due to an injury.
However, against weak Finns, the Dortmund player showed that he found his good form again in good time. Nagelsmann was impressed by his athleticism combined with dynamism and precise passing, and that could mean that the starting eleven in the first World Cup game against Curaçao will be younger than expected weeks ago – even if nobody thought weeks ago that 40-year-old Manuel Neuer would be in goal.
The team against Finland will look a lot like the team for the tournament, Nagelsmann said in the training camp, because it now applies, “to find the rhythm“. The occupation in the right offensive midfield was a question that was considered to be more open than that of the left defender. At least for the opener against Curaçao it should have been clarified: Lennart Karl shone against Finland with rapid dribbling and combination play in narrow spaces.
Nagelsmann euphorically praised Leroy Sané, who came on for Karl in the 73rd minute. But here too the duel went to the younger ones: Karl is 18, Sané 30.
