2023-06-17 07:50:48
There was also no victory for the German team against Poland. Germany seems to have forgotten how to win. But there are bright spots.
It was a last desperate attempt. Antonio Rüdiger, who rushed forward, played a short one-two with Robin Gosens before going in for a cross in the last minute of added time. A high, long ball – into nothing. Inaccessible for teammate Marius Wolf, the game device sailed into the goal.
Rüdiger raised his arms – one wasn’t quite sure whether it was from exhaustion or frustration – and apologized to his team-mate for the unsuccessful assist. Shortly thereafter it was over. 0-1 defeat in Poland, again no win, another disappointing result. Rüdiger’s last action was a symbol of the German game. Tried a lot, but in the end nothing worked again.
The German national team seems to have forgotten how to win. So far this year, the DFB team has celebrated only one threesome (2-0 against Peru), and only four from the last 15 games. The national coach was correspondingly disappointed after the renewed setback. In the first half, his team “didn’t really get into the game”, in the second half “that little bit of luck was missing”.
In fact, after more than 90 minutes played, the German team had 26 to 2 shots on goal. The Poles, who have to play in the European Championship qualifier in Moldova next Tuesday, limited themselves to defending under their coach Fernando Santos, who is known as a defensive fanatic. The hosts only got one ball on goal from Marc-André ter Stegen – and it was in. An extremely bitter evening for the German goalkeeper, who actually wanted to recommend himself for a regular place at the European Championship.
Flick the new Kafka?
As it is, the German team is still waiting for its second victory in 2023. In a little less than a year, the DFB team will open the home European Championship. There is currently no imagination as to how the national coach would like to get his team competitive before this major event.
Both in the after-match interview with moderator Esther Sedlaczek and at the press conference after the game, Flick emphasized so often that his team was “in a process” that one could almost begin to believe that Flick himself had Franz’s work of the same name written Kafka.
On Tuesday, however, there is another chance to show progress in this process and to win. Then the DFB team welcomes Colombia in Gelsenkirchen (8.45 p.m., in the live ticker on t-online). Another player who will play against the South Americans will probably have to serve as a beacon of hope in the midst of an insecure team: İlkay Gündoğan.
Born in Gelsenkirchen, he joined the DFB team on Wednesday as a newly crowned treble winner. Gündoğan is the captain of the Cityzens, the extended arm of head coach Pep Guardiola – and most recently the man for the important goals, such as in the FA Cup final against city rivals Manchester United.
Gündogan and the search for his role
Flick knows what he has in Gündoğan, even if he doesn’t really seem to have found his role in the national team despite many years of experience. “It’s good for us to have him with us. He’s an excellent footballer, a likeable person and a leader,” said Flick about the 32-year-old. However, he did not want to give the midfielder a basic starting eleven guarantee during the week.
And Gündoğan will not be able to solve the problems in the German team alone either. Whether it’s the individual mistakes (like in the 3:3 against Ukraine) or the lack of chances like against Poland. Given the repetitive poor results and performance, there is little hope for improvement. However, there were at least two other bright spots against Poland.
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