World Cup dress rehearsal against the USA
Without Nagelsmann’s favorite: t-online readers are calling for two changes
June 6, 2026 – 1:53 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
A few days before the start of the World Cup, the DFB team is testing one last time. The t-online readers have several wishes for the game.
The fans of the German national team would face the USA on Saturday evening (from 8:30 p.m. in the live ticker on t-online) without Kai Havertz in the DFB team’s starting line-up. This is shown by an evaluation of the desired list among t-online readers.
The national coach probably has other plans, because he is known to think highly of Havertz. “We need Kai,” Nagelsmann emphasized again shortly after arriving in the USA. Especially since the offensive man has been missing a lot recently and is now supposed to collect important minutes against the World Cup hosts to play with his colleagues. Havertz had missed the test against Finland because of the lost Champions League final with Arsenal FC, and injuries had repeatedly slowed him down in the previous months.
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The variable offensive man could play in the center of the attack as well as in the offensive three-man line behind him. The fans prefer to see Deniz Undav as the center forward, Lennart Karl in the attacking midfield (survey was carried out before the injury), Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz.
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The readers’ wishes do not match the national coach’s ideas in other positions either. In the goal, a majority is in favor of Oliver Baumann, who was demoted to number two. One background could be that Manuel Neuer missed the Finland game and the DFB Cup final with calf problems. He recently started training again and a game against the USA doesn’t seem to be out of the question.
A Bayern candidate should go to the bench
Compared to the 4-0 win against the Finns, readers are also hoping for two changes: David Raum should return to the starting line-up for Nathaniel Brown, who is considered a candidate for a change at FC Bayern. Instead of Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha, readers would like to see Leon Goretzka in central midfield.