In the second game under national coach Julian Nagelsmann, the German national team will meet on Wednesday night (from 2 a.m live on ARD and in Live streamfrom 9 a.m. in Relive on ARD) on Mexico. And thus to the opponent who initiated the year-long DFB crisis in 2018.
As much as Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Müller have in common, they represent two different generations of the German national football team. Müller embodies the 2014 world champions, but also the DFBteam, which has been on a long downward trajectory since the 2018 World Cup. And that is exactly the reason why Nagelsmann is now his coach again. The man who is supposed to help Germany regain its old footballing glory.
Müller’s memory of worse times
This generational meeting became particularly clear at the press conference on Monday (October 16, 2023) before the friendly against Mexico. Müller was reminded by DFB press spokeswoman Franziska Wülle of the last meeting between the two nations – which visibly caused the FC Bayern Munich offensive player to feel somewhat uneasy.
Müller, who was otherwise so positively quick-witted, seemed to have to collect himself a little and rummaged through apparently painful memories of the 0-1 defeat at the start of the World Cup in Russia. It was no longer present for him, said Müller, but he recalled the defeat and its consequences. “That was the start of a period in the last few months and years that we look back on very negatively. That’s part of our history as a team.”
But now the coach, Nagelsmann, is sitting on the podium, marking a new chapter in the history of the DFB.teams should write. “I’m happy that we’ve gotten off to a good start and I’m focusing on the fact that we want to continue what we started.”said Müller. The test match against Mexico will be a coming to terms with the past in a double sense. A direct one revengebut also an attempt to let the past be the past.
Nagelsmann’s debut as a new start
The win against the USA (3:1) at Nagelsmann’s premiere was promising and a first step towards actually being able to see this restart as such. No more legacy issues and the negative run. Nagelsmann should stand for the transformation back to a successful nation – and he has decided that Müller should at least play a role in this for the moment.
Accordingly, the national coach shows consideration for the veteran, whom he had already trained at Bayern. Nagelsmann almost refused to answer the question of how he experienced the defeat against Mexico just over five years ago. “Thomas said he doesn’t like to talk about it, so I won’t say much.”said the 36-year-old. “We now want to write a new story, even if this game won’t have as much impact. But hopefully in a year Thomas will be asked how he found the game in 2023 and then think more positively about it than he did about the game in 2018.”
No rotation “so we can get rhythm”
Nagelsmann repeatedly talks about steps that need to be taken in his project. “We want to act in a similar way to how we acted against the USA and take small steps towards even better implementation”, he said. Its premiere “It was a good game” and now be it “It’s important to see this as a new foundation to take further steps and use the next games.” And, says Nagelsmann: “The team gives the impression that they are just as willing.”
Accordingly, the DFB waivesCoach also on fundamentally changing his starting eleven. “I decided that I don’t want to rotate a lot so that we get rhythm. It’s also important that the players develop a connection with each other because many of them are in different clubs and therefore don’t play with each other that often.”said Nagelsmann, who however announced that he wanted to make several changes at half-time.
Consideration for Bundesliga matchday
The national coach has this plan to give other players an opportunity for self-promotion. But he also does it to give players a breather before the upcoming Bundesliga match day. This primarily applies to the professionals from Borussia Dortmund, who have to play against Mainz 05 on Friday (October 20th, 2023) and will therefore be flown home by their club in a private jet immediately after the game.
“In the end it’s also about the health of the players, that’s my responsibility”said Nagelsmann. Nevertheless, he also pointed out that the problem may have been over-dramatized in some places. Players from other nations also know this rhythm, such as those from South and North America or Asia – and they are therefore not particularly susceptible to injuries. Nagelsmann led Alphonso Davies as an example, who was a long-term player in both Munich and Canada during his time at Bayern.
The wish: the same performance against another opponent
Whatever the personnel looks like, Nagelsmann already has a clear idea of the game. “Compared to the USA, Mexico is much more straightforward and doesn’t want to play out from the back. They are a very aggressive team that goes for second balls a lot, plays a lot of diagonal balls and wants to get to the other goal quickly.”said the national coach.
There will be one “completely different game”which due to the frenetic Mexicofans “a certain characteristic” get. Despite all the differences, Nagelsmann hopes “That it will be similar. No matter how the opponent plays”. USA or Mexico – the main thing is that the DFB team plays well and successfully again.