Scored 1-0, missed 2-0, conceded 1-1, trembled to the end. Germany’s international match in Amsterdam was thrilling. But Flick’s winning streak ended. And that helps the DFB.
After eight it was over. Hansi Flick won eight games in a row. Steven Bergwijn prevented the ninth with his goal to make it 1-1 for the Netherlands against the German selection. A small damper in Flick’s hitherto flawless record.
But for the national coach, the draw is the better outcome.
Because now Flick’s winning streak is no longer an issue. Before the Israel game – the eighth victory of the 57-year-old – wrote the “Deutsche Welle” of “Flick’s magic seven”. After the 2-0 win against Israel, the “Bild” headlined: “8th win in 8th game! Flick can only win”. All of that is over now. There is some calm for the national coach.
With a win, the expectations and euphoria among the fans before the four Nations League games in June would have been greater. The draw slows things down a bit and shows that the process is far from over.
In addition, this result also grounds the team. “Oranje” was the location determination. And she says: Germany can compete with the big ones. But the team also has weaknesses. The game control and dominance that the DFB-Elf showed on the pitch in the first round was gone after the equaliser.
The Elftal ran, was whipped forward by the fans. Germany’s team seemed visibly affected and nervous by this pressure, making increasing mistakes in coordination and passing. Flick has to work on that with the team. How players deal with setbacks, how to stay focused. These are all points that matter at the World Cup. And then Flick’s eleven might score the winning goal.