Amsterdam (dpa) – Questions to national coach Hansi Flick in the press conference after the 1: 1 in the World Cup test match of the German national soccer team against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
How do you rate the game?
Hansi Flick:It was a very good game by two teams who want to play football. We played good football for 60 minutes. We can make it 2-0 in the second half thanks to David Raum. After the 1-1, Holland got more in front of the goal and really put the pressure on. We held up well. Overall I am very satisfied.
What makes you so positive?
flick: I know that we have to perform like this for the full 90 minutes, but the intensity of the team was enormous. That’s why we were satisfied because we put the opponent under pressure. Playing in Holland is just something special. This is a team that has excellent footballers and we did very well there.
Who earned a place in the World Cup squad in the two games against Israel and the Netherlands?
flick: There’s still a long way to go until November. So much can still happen. That’s why we’re happy that we got the chance this time too, that we could try out players, that players could show themselves. Every individual who has been here has quality to enrich the team. The squad keeps getting bigger. That’s excellent for us coaches if you then have a choice of quality. It’s a good situation for us. I don’t want to commit myself to that at all.
How do you feel about going to Qatar for the World Cup draw on Friday?
flick: I’ve already taken part in a number of draws for European Championships and World Championships. We’re going there and we’ll take a look. Former top footballers will draw the groups. And we’ll see what we’re drawn and we’ll do our best to prepare for the task we’re given. We want to continue on the path we are on because I believe we are on a very, very good path.
What do you still have to tackle with a view to the World Cup?
flick: We’ve had too many turnovers. There needs to be more calm in our game. Those are the things we need to address. Also positioning was not always optimal. We tried a lot and did well what we gave the players as a plan. You can say that it was a positive game.
Jamal Musiala made an outstanding game. Please describe his qualities.
bottleick:Each individual has seen what a quality he has. In possession of the ball, it was also clear beforehand that he knows very well how to assert himself and create space for his own team. He’s very good in one-on-ones. He can set up balls well. What he did on defense was outstanding. Together with Ilkay Gündogan in the position, both did well. Jamal has shown that he is also an option in this position.
In Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka and Niklas Süle four players were missing who would be called regular players. Are they sure they have their place? Or do they also feel the competitive pressure?
flick:It’s always good when the team plays well. Even if the supposed top players aren’t there and other players have done well. Florian Wirtz was missing, Marco Reus was missing, Karim Adeyemi was missing. Those are interesting players who weren’t there. Nevertheless, the players who were here did their job very well, did a good job. It makes it a bit more difficult for us, but it’s good for the quality of the team. That’s why we’re happy that now in March, when we wanted to try things out, the plan worked. With the way we played football against an opponent who is one of the top teams. We can look forward to the Nations League games in June.