The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Germany

  • Complacency killed Germany’s World Cup hopes

    The reason lies not in numbers but in German football’s complacency in recent years.
    Every aspect of the national pastime, and that includes clubs, the top league, the national association (DFB) and the players themselves, has fed off this complacency for years.

    Ever since their brilliant 2014 World Cup victory the main actors of German football rested on their laurels, raked in the cash and thought the good times would last forever. But they didn’t.

    Two defeats and one last-gasp victory in the group stage meant an embarrassed Germany made their earliest World Cup exit in 80 years on Wednesday.

    Rewind to 2014 just before the world Cup, when four German clubs battled their way through the group stages and into the Champions League round of 16. This season it was just one.

    Back in 2013, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund played out an all-German Champions League final. No German club has made it past the last four since.

    In 2011 and 2012 Dortmund won the league. Since then it has been a Bayern monopoly. The reasons for all this are simple: money.

    Read Also: Russia 2018: Fresh corn as added delicacy for fans

    The Bundesliga is eager to highlight its ongoing financial boom, but that boom has also brought with it a one-sided, boring and predictable competition where Bayern win every time.

    The lack of league competition, as the cash-rich DFB looks on without any interest of intervening, has meant that German players have seriously lost their competitive edge.

    Deals in China are more important than giving fans in Freiburg or Hanover a decent competition to watch.

    Even Bayern does not need to create its own players anymore. Its swelling savings account has meant it can just buy them, with Thomas Mueller being their truly home-grown player.

    Add to that Germany coach Joachim Loew’s own complacency, with the coach stubbornly insisting on fielding virtually the same core of players for almost a decade.

    “Why should I lose trust in them after one game,” he snapped after their opening defeat to Mexico.

    Players like Mueller, Jerome Boateng, Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Manuel Neuer have long stopped chasing international success and are now quicker to show off their latest clothes, cars, houses, tattoos or shoes than their latest football achievements. Their collective last good season was back in 2014.

    Even the DFB’s own smugness was evident in its tournament slogan — ‘the Best Never Rest’ —, its constant marketing drive and sponsor photo shoots and its continuous demand to “bring back the fifth star” — a fifth world title.

    When two DFB employees stormed the Sweden bench after Germany’s last-second 2-1 victory to celebrate and gesticulate at their opponents, it was indicative of their complacency suddenly being replaced by pure panic.

    Until that point the DFB had no clue a disaster was looming.

    Whether Loew decides to stay on, the post-World Cup Germany coach must clean house and rebuild the team from the same source as the 2014 World Cup-winning team.

    The country’s outstanding youth work and its vast pool of talented players was the start of their decade-long exciting run in world football.

    It is there the coach must turn to, instead of players more interested in taking pictures of their latest sports cars or presidents.

  • Tite tempers Brazil’s World Cup hopes ahead of Mexico clash

    Brazil’s relatively straightforward passage to the last 16 has created optimism among fans betting on a sixth World Cup title, but coach Tite is using his characteristic restraint to prevent over-confidence among his players.

    With champions Germany out, Argentina only scraping through and Spain in turmoil, many see Brazil as the clear favorites to lift the World Cup in Moscow on July 15.

    But moments after they beat Serbia 2-0 to secure a quarter-final date with Mexico, the wily coach was once again playing down expectations.

    Brazil coach Tite during the match REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

    “Expectations? We don’t live by expectations, we live by reality,” Tite said.

    “We live by a team that mentally deals with the pressure, is balanced, that has replacement parts for important moments.

    Read Also: Neymar will reach his ‘best level’ — Tite

    “You have to have a strong team. If the players didn’t have all this preparation then we’d surely not see this kind of performance.”

    “Your situation,” he told reporters, “like gamblers, is not our situation. Ours is looking to grow.”

    Brazil’s performance against Serbia was their best so far and guaranteed them a date with Mexico in Samara on Monday.

    Tite revealed Brazil’s first division clubs had helped the national side by having their performance analysts research all 32 nations in the tournament and write detailed reports for his backroom staff.

    That assistance will be crucial against a talented, but inconsistent Mexican side that have gone from beating Germany 1-0 in their opener to losing 3-0 to Sweden in their final group game.

    “We are going to begin studying on the plane (back to our base camp”,” Tite’s assistant Cleber Xavier told reporters.

    “They are a strong rival that beat Germany and Korea and qualified at the expense of Germany.

    “For us, the thing is to know Mexico inside out so we can outline our expectations.”

  • World Cup: Germany apologise to fans after ouster

    The German senior national team has apologised to its fans following its group stage in Russia 2018 World Cup elimination.

    The defending champions lost 0-2 to South Korea in their last group F game to end with three points.

    “Dear fans, we feel just as disappointed as you,’’ the team said on its twitter handle @DFB_Team_EN.

    “The World Cup only comes around every four years and we expected so much from us.

    “We are sorry for not playing like world champions and as painful as it is, we deserve to be out,’’ it tweeted.

    Germany are the fourth defending champions to be eliminated from the Group Stage at the World Cup in the last five tournaments (also France 2002, Italy 2010, Spain 2014).

  • World Cup: defending champion Germany crashes out

    • South Korea 2-0 Germany
    • Kim goal given after VAR (90+1)
    • Son makes it two in open goal (90+6)
    • Group F match

    T’S ALL OVER! Germany are out of the World Cup.

    What. A. Finish. Incredible.

    Germany did not look at the races from kick off and despite an improved second half performance, they could not get past a well drilled South Korea defence, with VAR handing South Korea the opening goal in the 91st minute before Son netted a second five minutes later, deep into injury time.

    The Germans – players and fans – are in tears and they have never exited at the World Cup group stages as we know them now. They have never really looked like defending their title and they will head home now.

    GERMANY TEAM NEWS

    Team to play South Korea: Neuer, Hector, Hummels, Sule, Kimmich, Khedira, Kroos, Ozil, Reus, Goretzka, Werner.

    Subs: Trapp, Plattenhardt, Ginter, Draxler, Muller, Rudiger, Rudy, Brandt, Gundogan, Gomez, ter Stegen.

    SOUTH KOREA TEAM NEWS

    Team to play Germany: Hyeon-Woo Jo, Yong Lee, Young-Sun Yun, Chul Hong, Young-Kwon Kim, Woo-Young Jung, Jae-Sung Lee, Seon-Min Moon, Hyun-Soo Jang, Heung-Min Son, Ja-Cheol Koo.

    Subs: Seung-Gyu Kim, Jin-Hyeon Kim, Seung-Hyun Jung, Ban-Suk Oh, Joo-Ho Park, Min-woo Kim, Yo-Han Go, Se-Jong Ju, Sung-Yueng Ki, Shin-Wook Kim, Seung-Woo Lee, Hee-Chan Hwang.

    MATCH STATS

    • Two of the three matches between South Korea and Germany have been at World Cup finals, with the Germans winning both contests (1994, 2002).
    • The most recent World Cup meeting between South Korea and Germany was at the Koreans’ home World Cup in 2002, with the hosts losing 1-0 in the semi-finals.
    • South Korea’s only victory against Germany came in a friendly match in 2004 (3-1).
    • Germany have won all five of their World Cup games against Asian opponents, scoring 19 goals in total and keeping clean sheets in each of their last three.
    • South Korea have lost their last four World Cup matches in a row, their joint-worst run – they also lost four in a row between 1986 and 1990.
    • Germany’s victory over Sweden was their first at the World Cup when conceding first since 1998, a 2-1 win over Mexico.
    • Son Heung-Min attempted eight shots in South Korea’s defeat to Mexico – three more than South Korea managed in their opening match against Sweden (five shots).
    • Germany have won 15 of their last 17 competitive matches (D1 L1) since losing 2-0 to France at Euro 2016.

  • Germany 2-1 Sweden – dramatic Kroos goal keeps Germany alive

    • Germany 2-1 Sweden
    • Kroos scores injury time winner (90+5)
    • Reus draws Germany level (48)
    • Toivonen gives Sweden lead (32)
    • Group F encounter
    • Ozil, Khedira left out by Low
    • Lindelof returns for Sweden
    • Germany lost opener to Mexico

    Kroos’ late strike has given Germany all three points. The Sweden players drop to their knees, they thought they’d done enough to get a deserved point. However, it’s Germany celebrating as they get their campaign back on track in Sochi!

     

    SWEDEN TEAM NEWS

    Team to face Germany: Olsen, Lustig, Granqvist, Lindelof, Augustinsson, Claesson, Larsson, Ekdal, Forsberg, Berg, Toivonen.

    Subs: Olsson, Guidetti, Johnsson, Svensson, Helander, Hiljemark, Krafth, Jansson, Rohden, Durmaz, Thelin, Nordfeldt.

    GERMANY CHANGES

    The big news is that Ozil and Khedira have been left out of the Germany starting line-up along with Pattenhardt and the injured Hummels.

    In come Reus, Rudy, Hector and Rudiger.

    GERMANY TEAM NEWS

    Team to face Sweden: Neuer, Kimmich, Rudiger, Boateng, Hector, Kroos, Rudy, Reus, Draxler, Muller, Werner.

    Subs: Plattenhardt, Ginter, Hummels, Khedira, Ozil, Trapp, Goretzka, Sule, Brandt, Gundogan, Ter Stegen, Gomez.

    HEAD-TO-HEAD

    Germany are unbeaten in their last 11 games against Sweden (W6 D5), with the Scandinavians’ last win coming 40 years ago in April 1978 (3-1).

    EARLY TEAM NEWS – SWEDEN

    Sweden have been hit with a stomach bug ahead of the game in Sochi, with Pontus Jansson, Filip Helander and Marcus Rohden staying behind at the training base although they are expected to travel to the game on Saturday morning.

    Victor Lindelof – who missed the game against South Korea through illness – could return, although Isaac Kiese Thelin is a doubt with an ankle problem.

    EARLY TEAM NEWS – GERMANY

    Germany are expected to without Mats Hummels after sustaining a neck injury, with Antonio Rudiger likely to take his place should Hummels’ health not improve.

    Low also said forward Mario Gomez was likely to start but did not clarify if he would join Timo Werner in attack or if he would operate as a lone striker.

    GERMANY v SWEDEN LIVE!

    It’s almost time for the third instalment of World Cup action this Saturday as the countdown begins for Germany’s clash with Sweden at the Fisht Olympic Stadium. It’s a big night for Germany, who will be looking for their first win of the 2018 World Cup in their second Group F game. On the other hand, Sweden, who were 1-0 winners against South Korea in their first game, could make the last 16 with a victory over the reigning champions.

    We’ll be bringing you all the build-up to kick-off, including the all-important team news. Stay tuned!

  • Russia 2018: Fans want Super Eagles to rise above defeat

    Football fans in Lagos have urged the Super Eagles to rise above the 0-2 defeat to Croatia in their opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

    They told our reporters on Monday in Lagos that though the loss was a tough one to bear but that they should not allow it to weigh them down.

    They said that ever since the World Cup started, thousands of fans had been trooping in to support their teams at the Eagles Club, Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere Lagos.

    Kunle Arowolo said that the Eagles needed to be sharper in the attack, adding that all other departments were okay, but that the attack led by Odion Ighalo was not effective enough.

    “The team played well but did not do well at the attack, but it is not time to apportion blames to anybody but for the attack led by Ighalo to raise their game.

    Read Also: Russia 2018: Nigerians react to Super Eagles lost against Croatia

    “We must approach our next game against Iceland with all manner of consciousness and get all three points or the alternative could be devastating,’’ Arowolo said.

    Another fan, Stanley Okwonkwo said that that Super Eagles needed to be business minded up front as the last game showed their weakness in the midfield and attack.

    “It was a great game but the better team won at the end, we have to support our team regardless of the loss because it is important for them to believe in themselves.

    “I am hopeful that their performance in the next game against Iceland would be better, so let us support them to do well,’’ Okwonkwo said.
    Steve Bamijoko, on his part, said that the team needed to work harder in their two remaining matches which were crucial to their progress to round of 16.

    “It is obvious that there are no pushovers in the World Cup; everybody is good enough if you strive hard and play as a team.

    “A clear example is Mexico handing a 1-0 defeat to Germany, the defending champions, in their opening match and Switzerland holding five times champions Brazil to a 1-1 draw.

    “No team should see themselves as small, so the Super Eagles in their coming matches should have the clear chance to progress to the next round,’’ Bamijoko said.

    Abayomi Abidakun, Senior Brand Manager, Star Lager Beer, Nigerian Breweries Plc., said that supporting Super Eagles to excel was very crucial at this point as he was confident they would bounce back.

    He urged football fans not to feel bad about the result and that no matter what, we must get behind the team and hopefully the right results would come their way.

    “Getting things right sometimes doesn’t come easy, Super Eagles went into the match with the hope of getting the right result for them but it did not come that way.

    “We have to move on as Eagles face Iceland on June 22 which is very crucial to their success at the World Cup.

    “The Super Eagles Dome by Nigerian Breweries is our way of supporting the Super Eagles of Nigeria as they represent our nation in Russia and also creating an atmosphere of fun.

    “With one voice, we can cheer on with `One United’ voice.

    “As a brand, we are proud of this opportunity, given to Star Lager beer, to create an atmosphere where passionate fans can come and support the Super Eagles,’’ Abidakun said.

    The venue showcased High-tech, multi-media technology, giving a 360 degree experience where fans rallied support for the Eagles as they faced Croatia in their first match in Russia.

    Football supporters also experienced a `beer village’, where fans were treated to refreshing premium lager beer all through the night.

    One of the main attractions of the Super Eagles Dome was the exquisite Star Lager tunnel, which featured a LED screen that takes fans down memory lane of historic Super Eagles moments.

    Nigeria face Iceland on June 22 who had forced a 1-1 draw against two times world champions, Argentina in their opening match.

     

    NAN

  • Disappointed Low says Germany “Will Reach Final”

    • Hirving Lozano scored the winner after a swift counter-attack
    • Toni Kroos hit the crossbar, but Germany could not respond

    Germany head coach Joachim Low has said he will not change his target for the World Cup after failing to win against Mexico on Sunday.

    Mexico pulled off a historic victory in the opening game of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Group F, defeating World Cup holders Germany 1-0 in front of a fervent – and full – Luzhniki Stadium.

    “Indeed it is disappointing to have lost the first match, that it is a situation we are not used to at all. In many tournaments we have always won the first match but we have to accept this.

    “In the first half the impression was that we were not as dynamic as we usually are and in the second half I didn’t have the impression we were losing strength.

    “It was not a lack of stamina that meant we could not turn the match around. As a player in a World Cup you have to accept pressure.

    “We will certainly not change our match plan. In the first half, to a large extent, the players were coming back trying to recover the ball instead of playing deep, if we are not more incisive we will lose the ball. We have to focus on our strong points.”

    “We knew we had to be stable in these first matches but very often, in an unfamiliar way, we looked nervous and in the first half it did not happen and we will have to analyse why it happened.”

    Low does not share the excitement about a potential Germany v Brazil match in the last-16. He says: “I certainly don’t care about that. The round of 16, I don’t waste any thought on that. It is all about the next match and being better.”

    Low is told that a number of former World Cup winners have failed to qualify from the group phase four years later. He replies: “We will not suffer that fate; we will make it to the next round.

    “In tournaments this (losing a match) can happen and you have to accept it. We will not become reckless. We will continue to look forward. There is no reason to panic. We have three matches and ample opportunities to correct this result.”

    Meanwhile, Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio said: “What is the most important thing for Mexican football is to grow. We need to prepare for the next match and prepare it thoroughly.

    “When we scored I just sat down and considered the plan for the next five minutes.”

  • Mexico stun champions Germany 1-0

    Defending champions Germany crashed to defeat in their first game at the World Cup on Sunday as an enterprising Mexico refused to be intimidated and came away 1-0 winners.

    A shaky warm-up campaign had called into question the dominant form the Germans showed in qualifying, but experience and records were on their side.

    This iks because they have won every opening game at major tournaments since Joachim Low took over as coach in 2006.

    But Juan Osorio’s Mexican side had other ideas, however, holding their own against the favourites’ fearsome but slowing midfield and finding space at the back.

    They needed this, because they were seeking to end 33 years without a win against Germany.

    After wasting a handful of first-half chances while living dangerously in their own half in the thrill-packed Group F opener, Hirving Lozano’s 35th-minute strike on the break proved just reward.

    When German centre back Mats Hummels lost possession deep in the Mexican half, Javier Hernandez was released through the middle to outpace Jerome Boateng.

    With a less than perfect pass he found Lozano, who controlled the ball, cut inside Mesut Ozil, held off a charging Toni Kroos and slotted coolly past Manuel Neuer.

    At the other end, Guillermo Ochoa tipped a blistering Kroos free kick on to the bar minutes later, in what was to prove the Germans’ closest effort of the match.

    The match in Moscow was one in which the Germans had more than 60 percent possession, but they could not make it count.

    Germany pressed in the second half but struggled to find the target, as Osorio beefed up his defences to hang on.

    He removed Lozano with 15 minutes left and sent on 39-year-old Rafael Marquez at the back to become the third man ever to play in five World Cups.

    Low threw on Marco Reus in place of Sami Khedira and, with 10 minutes to go, switched left-back Marvin Plattenhardt for a second striker, Mario Gomez, to reinforce Timo Werner.

    Werner had failed to make much of a mark in the German spearhead.

    Mexico had much of the 80,000 crowd in Luzhniki Stadium on its feet as the Germans left ever greater gaps at the back.

    The wastefulness notably of Hernandez on the final pass may reassure future opponents that Mexico, while determined to end a Cinderella reputation, have not replaced Germany as favourites.

    Youngster Julian Brandt nearly saved Low’s night after taking over from Werner in the final minutes when he blasted a shot past Ochoa’s right post.

    Goalkeeper Neuer even came up for a corner kick in injury time.

    But it was not to be.

    Mexico can dream of going better than a consistent record of reaching the last 16 of the last six World Cups.

    They can even think perhaps of improving on the quarter-final they last reached in 1986.

    “They are the best team in the world,” goalscorer Lozano said, describing his strike as “the best goal of my life”.

    The Germans now face Sweden and South Korea and should still qualify from Group F.

    But their reputation is not what it was.

    “We are now under pressure. We have to get six points from the next games,” Kroos said. “We did not do well. We had our chances but didn’t score.”(Reuters/NAN)

  • Germany allow class-action lawsuits in wake of VW scandal

    Germany would allow class-action lawsuits to be brought against big corporations, following a vote in the lower house of parliament on Thursday.

    This is seen as a win for consumers in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

    The Bundestag passed the legislation to give consumers the option of seeking damages without doing it alone against major corporations.

    The complaints would be led in the courts by specially authorised consumer protection associations.

    As a prerequisite for collective redress, the complaint must affect a minimum number of people.

    Read Also: Germany trains 10,000 youths in vocational education

    The legislation is set to come into effect on Nov. 1, so that the owners of cars fitted with emissions-cheating software by Volkswagen can bring forward a complaint before their right to claim lapses in late 2018.

    Class-action lawsuits are common practice in the United States, where the German car making giant has been forced to pay out billions of dollars in compensation to duped customers.

    The Diesel gate scandal, triggered by revelations in 2015 that Volkswagen had fitted diesel engines with so-called defeat devices to cheat environmental standards, prompted many European car owners to demand compensation often with little success.

    NAN

  • Sane misses out, Neuer makes Germany World Cup squad

    Leroy Sane was a surprise omission from Joachim Loew’s final Germany squad for the World Cup finals on Monday as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was named among the 23 players heading to Russia.

    Neuer made the squad despite playing in just one official game, a friendly against Austria on Friday, since breaking a bone in his foot in September but talented 22-year-old Sane was the biggest name to miss out.

    The Manchester City midfielder, goalkeeper Bernd Leno, forward Nils Petersen and defender Jonathan Tah were the four players that failed to make the cut.

    Germany captain Neuer, who won the World Cup four years ago, will also be their first choice keeper for the tournament, ahead of designated number two Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Kevin Trapp.

    Loew announced his squad at the end of a training camp at the Italian Alps.

    The Germans play their last warm-up game against Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen on Friday before the start of the tournament on June 14.

    Germany is in Group F along with Sweden, Mexico and South Korea.

    Squad: Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kevin Trapp (Paris St Germain).

    Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Matthias Ginter (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Mats Hummels (Bayern Munich), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Marvin Plattenhardt (Hertha Berlin), Antonio Ruediger (Chelsea), Niklas Suele (Bayern Munich).

    Midfielders: Julian Brandt (Bayer Leverkusen), Julian Draxler (Paris St Germain), Leon Goretzka (Schalke 04), Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Rudy (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal).