analysis
A tournament squad of 26 players leaves plenty of room for compromise. National coach Hansi Flick often opted for the future variant.
In less than two weeks after the squad was announced, there will be the first serious answers to the questions of whether it was right to take this or that player. On November 23, 13 days after the nomination was announced, the German national soccer team will play their first game at the 2022 World Cup against Japan.
Then – assuming the last day of the league and the short preparation in Oman and on site in Qatar go without further injuries – Manuel Neuer will be in goal, Antonio Rüdiger will be the chief of defense, Joshua Kimmich will pull the strings in central midfield and Jamal Musiala will whirl in front of that , before that Kai Havertz played as a striker. The assumption that Niklas Süle, Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Müller will also be in the starting eleven is only slightly lower than the probability that this forecast will come true.
All of these players have been little talked about in the past few weeks regarding the nomination as it was clear they will find their place in the squad. The positions behind it were discussed, namely those behind the goalkeepers Marc-André ter Stegen and Kevin Trapp as well as safe candidates such as Leroy Sané, Ilkay Gündogan, David Raum and Nico Schlotterbeck.
Few vacancies
So there were only a few vacancies, especially positions where a lot has been open in recent years anyway. The situation for a place in the central attack worsened because Timo Werner had to sit out injured. It was likely that Youssoufa Moukoko or Niclas Füllkrug would manage to get a seat on the World Cup plane, because due to the corona pandemic, 26 instead of the usual 23 players are still allowed. This luxury allowed national coach Hansi Flick to respond with Moukoko and a filling jug. That way no one can say later that it would have been better if they had taken the other person with them. That may not have been the motive, but it is a pleasant side effect for Flick and his team.
There are few names that are likely to spark debate. It is even wrong to question the nomination of Mario Götze, because, as Flick said, he is “a brilliant footballer” who can achieve a lot with his “flashes of genius”. Above all, he can ensure that the other offensive players like Sané, Gnabry and Havertz can use their enormous speed a little before the first contact with the ball.
“Having World Cup experience is also valuable for the future”
Flick openly admitted that speed alone was the deciding factor for Karim Adeyemi, who fell short of expectations after moving from Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund. As with Moukoko, who turns 18 on the day of the World Cup opening game, Adeyemi has also looked to the future. In less than two years, the European Championships in Germany will be history. “Having World Cup experience is also valuable for the future,” said Flick, also with regard to Armel Bella Kotchap, who has one more international match than Moukoko (and filling jug).
Age and the future also played a role in the most controversial personal details, but maybe a little more, because Mats Hummels is considered someone who can be difficult in a group, also because he sometimes expresses criticism publicly. That, Flick assured, did not play a role. He had “not decided against Mats, but for a young player”. From a purely performance point of view, Hummels would have deserved the place, especially compared to his 22-year-old Dortmund club colleague Nico Schlotterbeck, who is not in the “outstanding shape” that Flick attested to Hummels staying at home.
However, Mats Hummels did not appear to be in good form beyond any doubt, and this personality is understandable. The differences are marginal on some positions and the associated names. Christian Günter or Robin Gosens? Flick chose Günter. The fact that he tried to persuade Jonas Hector from 1. FC Köln to make a comeback for the national team shows that the left back is still a problem area.
Ten players from the EURO 2020 squad are missing
At EURO 2020, which was held in 2021, Gosens seemed to be the solution for the near future, just like Nico Schulz before him. Now Gosens is out, as are nine other players from the EM ’21 squad for various reasons (resignation, injury, poor form), including Toni Kroos, Hummels, Timo Werner, Kevin Volland, Robin Koch and Florian Neuhaus.
Lukas Klostermann from Leipzig, on the other hand, is back, although he only has two competitive appearances this season: in the Supercup against Bayern and at the start of the Bundesliga season. Then he tore the syndesmosis.
The fact that Flick justified Gosens’ non-nomination (eleven appearances in Serie A, six in the Champions League for Inter Milan) with the fact that he had to find his rhythm again sounds strange in this context. But that’s a side note. Soon the main topics discussed are those that have hardly been talked about before.
The World Cup squad at a glance:
Goal: Manuel Neuer (FC Bayern Munich), Marc-André ter Stegen (FC Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Defense: Antonio Rüdiger (Real Madrid), Niklas Süle (Borussia Dortmund), Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund), Thilo Kehrer (West Ham United), David Raum (RB Leipzig), Christian Günter (SC Freiburg), Lukas Klostermann (RB Leipzig), Armel Bella Kotchap (Southampton), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg)
Midfield and Attack: Leon Goretzka (FC Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern Munich), Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City), Jonas Hofmann (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern Munich), Jamal Musiala (FC Bayern Munich), Thomas Müller (FC Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (FC Bayern Munich), Kai Havertz (FC Chelsea), Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund), Youssoufa Moukoko (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund), Niclas Füllkrug (Werder Bremen), Mario Götze (Eintracht Frankfurt).