The German national team showed some good offensive approaches in the successful World Cup test against the USA, but still has room for improvement, especially in defense.
There was a narrow 2:1 (1:1) victory for the German national team on Saturday (June 6th, 2026) in the last test match before the start of the World Cup Chicago against the USA. And at least one finding should satisfy everyone involved: the German offensive worked. That’s the good news before the first World Cup game on June 14th in Houston against Curacao.
However, national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team revealed a lot of defensive coordination problems against the brash hosts, especially in the first half, which the team will have to work on intensively in the coming days.
Kai Havertz scored for the DFB team to make it 1-0 (2nd). Antonee Robinson (37th) made it 1-1 for the USA. Leroy Sané scored to make the final score 2-1 (57th).
“It was almost a perfect test for us, in terms of the weather conditions and the opponent. Overall, I’m satisfied”said the national coach on RTL.
Havertz and Sané in the game
Nagelsmann had demanded that his team approach the game like an opening game at the World Cup. He himself had acted the same way and called up what he believed to be the best German eleven for this dress rehearsal. There were actually no surprises, only two changes compared to the most recent test game against Finland.
After Lennart Karl was out of the World Cup due to injury (torn muscle bundle), Nagelsmann had Sané, as expected, on the right offensive wing. And Havertz was preferred over Deniz Undav as the central striker. Both should draw attention to themselves.
Strong initial phase
Havertz showed right at the start of the game why the national coach trusts the 26-year-old. After a free kick from Joshua Kimmich from the right side of the penalty area, the FC attacker headed arsenal from four meters to make it 1-0 early.
Kai Havertz with the 1-0 for Germany.
After 101 seconds, the DFB team was already in the lead and it seemed as if they wanted to make a preliminary decision in the early stages. With aggressive pressing, quick play at the top and impressive combinations, she repeatedly came up with good offensive moves, but was always a few centimeters short of scoring the second goal.
Dream goal for the USA
After around 20 minutes, coach Mauricio Pochettino’s US team got better and better into the game in front of 55,000 spectators and increasingly acted on an equal footing. The German team had bigger problems and almost inevitably conceded the equalizer after a few opportunities had just been thwarted. However, this hit alone was the entry into the humid and hot Soldier Field value.
Robinson enchanted the entire stadium. His direct shot from 22 meters after a corner defended by the German team hit Oliver Baumann’s goal (Manuel Neuer is still being rested due to a tweaked calf) in the top right corner, crashing and unstoppable.
Antonee Robinson celebrates after the 1-1 equalizer.
More relief
After that, the German defense still hadn’t recovered, on the contrary. Central defender Jonathan Tah had to save several times at the last second from attackers Folarin Balogun, Sergino Dest and Christian Pulisic and block their shots.
The USA began the second half as offensively and committedly as they had ended the first. At least the German team was now able to provide relief more often. And one of the attacks led to the DFB team taking the lead again.
Sané, who had mostly been unhappy until then, was served by Havertz in the USA penalty area, the 30-year-old scored with a low shot from 13 meters to make it 2-1.
Amiri narrowly misses
As a result, Nagelsmann’s team got the game under control, kept the USA away from their own goal and dominated the encounter. The hosts also increasingly lacked energy.
With a little more accuracy, substitute Nadiem Amiri could have increased the narrow victory with his long-range shot.
DFB goalkeeper Baumann made it 2-1 with a brilliant save shortly before the end against Brenden Aaronson’s long-range shot.