Kai Havertz prevents the German national soccer team from not only starting the World Cup preparations with a bad feeling, but also with a bad result. The national coach currently has more problems than solutions. But time is pressing.
First Wembley was silent in honor of the late Queen. Then Wembley was silent in horror about the game of the "Three Lions", who had stumbled across the field like yelping kittens at the farewell performance from the top group of the Nations League against Germany. And finally Wembley exploded - at least temporarily - because the kittens had suddenly mutated back into proud lions. As Cringer once did to He-Man's Battlecat. Nobody knows exactly why all this happened on this Thursday evening. But what you do know: This really strange football game ended 3:3 and sends both teams into the final phase of Qatar planning with plenty of worries.
In both nations, this stipulates that the World Cup title is a permitted souvenir. Even if it has the imaginary blood of tens of thousands of deceased workers on it. But this is another story. It is less and less popular with those in power as the tournament draws nearer. There are always exceptions. Such as national coach Hansi Flick. He has positioned himself clearly in the past few days and has sharply criticized the award. But he also knows that the closer the desert tournament gets, the more the focus will be on the sporty side again. A reflex that FIFA as patron and Qatar as host are hoping for. may hope.
First Wembley. And 45 minutes a truly horrible kick. Even Uli Hoeneß, the savior of the discussion culture, condemned it as "banter". If you really want to talk about the first half then you have to applaud Marc-André ter Stegen for his sensational save against Raheem Sterling and question the manufacturers of the captain's armbands. For both Harry Kane and DFB boss Joshua Kimmich, the insignia fluttered wildly on the upper arm at times. Yes, it was that exciting. And who knows whether it wouldn't have been just as dramatic if the very clumsy Englishman Harry Maguire hadn't just carelessly kicked his opponent Jamal Musiala in the shin in the penalty area.
Maguire, however, raged against the Bayern player's lower extremity. And with plenty of VAR hesitation, there were penalties. And the turn. Gündoğan scored coolly and the game uninhibited (52'). Maguire dribbled forward, was stopped, Germany countered and Kai Havertz scored with a wonderful flick to make it 2-0 (67th). Flick's team attacked early, the counter-pressing took hold. Everything was under control, as was Joshua Kimmich - only to be surprised eight minutes later that it was actually 2-2. The English, who were very much Maguire and very little Kane that night, had equalized. Luke Shaw was alone (72nd) and Mason Mount (75th) hammered a direct acceptance into the goal of ter Stegen, who made a great save but was defeated three times.
Both situations do not cast a flattering light on the defense around Niklas Süle and Nico Schlotterbeck, who almost started the disaster with his third penalty in the fifth international match. But Havertz prevented that late (87th). Thanks to a blunder by England keeper Nick Pope. A staffing that will keep Gareth Southgate busy. must employ. Despite reaching the semi-finals at the 2018 World Cup and reaching the final at the European Championships last year, the tragic hero of 1996 has been heavily criticized. Too timid tactically, too vulnerable defensively, too harmless and aimless up front. Those are the allegations. Some media even vote on his successor. Particularly popular: ex-Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel.
What remains? The DFB team was unscathed for 45 minutes because they hardly dared to do anything. Against Englishmen who were relegated from the Nations League, completely insecure and aimless. Dangerous only over Sterling and one more time over Kane. But the fact that Germany couldn't think of anything to not only intimidate this almost panic-stricken collective, but also to bring it behind, to force it, was one of the strange things that evening. The experiment with Havertz in the storm center failed with a bang. Also with Musiala as an offensive man in the center. Flick rebuilt. Brought Timo Werner. Havertz moved up to ten. Musiala on the right. Havertz had ideas, Musiala pace - and Germany goals. Flick liked that. And it did him good. In the end he had seen too much that he didn't like. For example against Hungary. At the embarrassing 0:1. The problems haven't changed much. Who are the full-backs and how should the role be interpreted? Who plays in the center? And who at the top? There are enough unanswered questions. opportunities sufficient. solutions are still insufficient.
After the euphoric liberation from the increasingly heavier Löw-Spät era last year, things had sorted themselves out a little less euphorically in 2022. Eight games have been played, only two have been won. At the beginning against Israel (2:0) and in mid-June against Italy (5:2). There were five draws, four of which ended 1-1 and one bankruptcy. The ones against Hungary. There should be compensation for them. Without Thomas Müller in the starting XI. A heated debate had broken out again these days about the iconic free spirit of the record champions. Is he still important enough, the icons Mario Basler and Stefan Effenberg argued. Flick sees it this way: A Thomas Müller question does not arise. Want to say: Let talk.
However, the sentences of the national coach from the past few days also allow room for interpretation. No regard for names, the best play, he said. Many of the best come from Munich, from the record champions. But he is in crisis. Also officially. Many top performers are out of shape. Whether Müller is also part of it is an issue for Basler and Effenberg. But at least he hasn't delivered anything countable for weeks. The same applies to Serge Gnabry, actually an indispensable part of the DFB team. At Leroy Sané, the line between top performers and non-top performers remains narrow. Joshua Kimmich is completely out of shape. Leon Goretzka not yet back in any after injury. And Manuel Neuer actually blundered more often than we know of him. A little reminder: there is a top alternative in ter Stegen. That doesn't necessarily apply to the rest of the Bavarian staff. Flick needs his Munich team. Without doubt.
"We had everything under control and deservedly lead 2-0. But then we become much too passive, no longer push through consistently, defend far too deep, and no longer have the courage to play against the ball - somehow inexplicable", said Kimmich. "If you're 2-0 up and suddenly 2-3 down, then of course you have to worry," said Havertz. "We still have seven weeks to fix the mistakes. Maybe that was another good game to learn from." Yes, perhaps. But who knows after this strange evening?
Doubts are the constant companion on the way to Qatar. Morally in large parts of football and western society for a long time, sporty in the top European nations more and more. Because not only Germany and England are strangers to themselves. France is also messing around, Italy isn't even there. Spain is solid. The Netherlands are playing well, but the nerves at big tournaments have not always been good. What breaks the neck in big tournaments: individual mistakes. Germany has been affording too many of these for months. Flick is annoyed by that: "Every single player has to know what he has to do in his position. I also have to stand by my full-back there. We have to cover from the ball away, but for that you need the wingers who are involved - they had that we didn't with both goals. We have to work on that." He still has 57 days to do this. Qatar is calling.
(This article was first published on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.)
