There will be no fifth star added to the shirt as Germany’s World Cup campaign ended dismally on Monday evening. After a far from convincing group stage run, the Germans met Paraguay in the round of 32. Despite coming from behind in the match, Die Mannschaft crashed out on penalties, losing 4-3.
Although they progressed out of the group for the first time since 2014, it was yet another major tournament to forget for the four-time World Cup winners, and questions now need to be asked if they’re still an international powerhouse and whether changes will be made.
Read More: Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany Squad
Germany’s World Cup Campaign Comes to an End
Deceiving Start
Germany’s World Cup preparation couldn’t have gone much better. They entered the tournament on the back of nine straight victories, and Nagelsmann’s men were full of confidence. Although they would lose Bayern Munich midfielder Lennart Karl to an injury before the tournament had even started, their strength in depth spoke for itself.
Coming up against tournament newcomers, Curacao, Germany were expected to make a strong start to the tournament, and it played out as many had planned.
Despite an emphatic 7-1 victory over Curacao, there has to be context behind the win. Germany are seen as a giant of a team on the international stage. Some 12 years ago, they sat at the top of the world, literally, when they lifted the trophy with an extra-time goal from Mario Goetze.
Heading into the tournament, Curacao had lost three of their last four fixtures with an aggregate score of 11-5, only boosted by a 4-0 win over Aruba, the 189th-ranked team by FIFA.
A 7-1 victory shouldn’t have come as a surprise at the hands of Germany, but the headlines of dominance did nothing but put more pressure on a side who weren’t ready for the big time.
Last Minute Saviour and Underwhelming Performance
Germany’s World Cup campaign saw them come up against the Ivory Coast in their second group game, with a win guaranteeing qualification out of the group for the first time since 2014. The Ivorians appeared to be physically in much better shape than Germany, despite having less of the ball. They were hungrier, and Germany went behind on the half-hour mark.
It took a Deniz Undav brace, including one in the 94th minute, to secure the victory for the Germans, who, it’s fair to say, looked unconvincing.
Ecuador were up next for Nagelsmann’s men, and after back-to-back goalless games, this one appeared to be the Europeans’ for the taking. Germany’s World Cup squad had taken a hit, however, with Nico Schlotterbeck’s injury ruling him out of the tournament. With that being said, he was replaced by multiple time Champion’s League winner Antonio Rudiger, not a bad replacement.
Unlike the Ivory Coast game, Germany started well. After just two minutes, they were 1-0 up with a goal from Leroy Sane. A mere seven minutes later, however, things were level, with Ecuador scoring their first goal of the campaign. The South Americans would go on to score again after 77 minutes and hold out for an important victory. Despite losing, Germany topped Group E and would face the third-place finishers from Group D, Paraguay.
Tournament Crash Out
Competing in their first knockout game since the 2014 final, Germany faced a Paraguay team that had only won one World Cup knockout game before Monday’s Boston clash. Germany mustered just a single shot on target in the first half, a tame effort from Joshua Kimmich.
Against the run of play, it would be Paraguay who would take the lead with Julio Enciso heading in to give them the lead.
Shortly after half-time, Kai Havertz levelled things for Germany, and fans believed that a stern talking to from Nagelsmann at half-time was about to come into full effect. It wasn’t to be, however. A Jonathan Tah disallowed goal saw Germany and Paraguay finish 120 minutes of action locked in an even draw. Penalties, it was.
Despite back-to-back penalty misses for Paraguay, Germany couldn’t make them pay. Kai Havertz, Nick Woltemade and Jonathan Tah failed to notch their spot kicks home, allowing Paraguay to record a famous victory.
Read More: Paraguay Shock Germany at the World Cup by Winning the Only Way They Know How
What’s Next?
Naturally, questions need to be asked after Germany’s World Cup exit. Potential managerial changes will naturally be discussed, and despite Nagelsmann’s 62% win ratio, he’s been accused of rarely watching Germany players’ club games. Unfortunately for Nagelsmann, there’s a man waiting in the wings who would be a popular choice for the role.
Former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s name is never far from fans’ lips whenever a big job becomes available, and with his German heritage, he’d certainly be high on the list.
With that being said, Germany’s sporting director, Rudi Voller, said of Nagelsmann, “still convinced that he’s the right man for the job, the right person in the right place”.
Germany also has an issue when it comes to striking power. Kai Havertz started all four games in Germany’s World Cup campaign, scoring three goals. Replacing him is either Deniz Undav or Nick Woltemade. Gone are the days when Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez were tearing through defences. Despite scoring seven against Curacao, Germany’s attackers are no longer feared.
Things need to change for Germany, otherwise they’ll quickly be forgotten as a powerhouse on the international stage.
Featured image courtesy of IMAGO / Uwe Kraft
