The embarrassment in Slovakia illustrates: The German dream of the World Cup title in one year is an illusion. The DFB team already lacks everything it needs.
William Laing reports from Bratislava
The frustration was clearly viewed by Julian Nagelsmann shortly after the embarrassment in Bratislava. After the 0: 2 of the German national team in the opening game of the World Cup qualification against Slovakia, the national coach complained to his eleven the lack of one of the most important virtues in football that the team had made so strong at home at home: “If we start at very simple things, the opponent was superior to us from the first minute,” said Nagelsmann on ARD microphone. A bitter, as well as worrying knowledge for the coach of a team who actually wants to become world champion.
In one year, the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico is on the plan. Nagelsmann himself had blown to the title attack after the unfortunate end at home European European Championship. After the deserved bankruptcy in Bratislava, he now explained: “Of course we still have the goal.” Words where the question must be allowed: Who does the national coach actually want to show off here? Because his team currently lacks everything that makes a title candidate – and everything a team needs to qualify for the most prestigious tournament in world football.
The appearance against Slovakia was unworthy of a four -time world champion at any level. Germany- this was finally clear on Thursday evening- has a quality and a mentality problem. Footballers with global class format can only be identified on Florian Wirtz, captain Joshua Kimmich and the currently injured Jamal Musiala. On the rest of the German team, the seal of approval of the average is emblazoned – nothing more and nothing less. There are always clear outliers in the performance of each individual in performance, but just as serious down.
The most included example in Bratislava: the defense around Jonathan Tah and Antonio Rüdiger. The two defense rages are considered the best that German football is currently defensive to offer. But what the Bayern professional and his adjoining man of Real Madrid presented against galley Slovaks was an embarrassment and is feared for the future. If the strikers of the 52nd of the FIFA world rankings play with the supposedly strongest defensive players in the DFB-Elf Katz and Mouse, the now burgeoning concern is justified by the mission of the World Cup qualification-and the dream of the World Cup title is completely illusory anyway.
Especially since Germany, as mentioned by Nagelsmann, misses a very essential building block for success in the collective – and not only since yesterday. Already with the sobering bankruptcy in the Nations League against Portugal and France in June, the team did not show the necessary emotionality in their entirety, was not greedy enough to win. “That is exactly what should never be missing,” said Joshua Kimmich after the final whistle in Bratislava in the catacombs of the arena. But it did. Again. More disappointment is not possible.