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To get this over with early on and quickly: Yes, there had been a deep gray cloud over Leipzig all day and then all night. Sometimes it let out a bit of ugly drizzle, but there was no crevice through which sunlight could penetrate the ground, no lighting, no glare.
The dark cloud over the national team, which DFB coach Oliver Bierhoff had conjured up on Monday, was actually there on the November 2020 reality show, and a mediocre 1-0 success over the Czech Republic with a team that never you will see again. they’ll see each other play together, chances are he’s not ready to make this cloud go away so soon Although it was the first zero match of the year and although the selection of national coach Joachim Löw remained undefeated in the sixth international match of the year.
Players on the field, who are mostly inexperienced in DFB appearances, are not to blame for this. Löw and Bierhoff recently complained several times that the public was treating young players unfairly and unfairly (most of whom are not so young anymore). In truth, there was almost no criticism, rather it was provoked by the work of Bierhoff and Löw. But even on Wednesday, criticism of the players’ actions on the field would not have helped.
An international match that had to be played
The team had had only one sensible training session before the game. There were two rookies in the starting eleven: Philipp Max and Ridle Baku, and Gladbach’s Jonas Hofmann and Florian Neuhaus, two professionals who made their second international match. Expecting coordinated routes and combinations of blind passes from them would have been inactive. “In this constellation” they will probably no longer perform together, even Löw emphasized after the game. A one time and never again game that will be quickly forgotten. It was such an international match that you just have to play it. Just as the scorpion cannot avoid stinging.
In the arduous search for knowledge of this game it will end sometime in the summer of next year, in which, according to Uefa’s planning, a European football championship is still planned. And you end with the question: Who among those who won 1-0 against the Czech Republic on this cold Leipzig night in the deserted stadium has the opportunity to experience this EM as a participant and a member of the team?
Löw’s personal selection before tournaments has been a constant over the years: surprises are rare, most players already have a year in advance. This time it is no different either. Of the team that competed in Leipzig, Ilkay Gündogan and Antonio Rüdiger have their seats, both could have been opposed to playing if all the other established players were saved.
But Löw also needed some leaders for this team. And so Gündogan had the honor of being the captain for the first time. Rüdiger’s neighbor Robin Koch from central defender received public praise from Löw this week. Now you can imagine it as a backup in the center of defense.
Max and Baku left impressions
Behind the two will be tight for the other Leipzig players. Max and Baku left some good impressions, defensive outside positions are almost traditionally not the strength of this team. At least your outlook hasn’t worsened. Both are also regular players at their clubs, ahead of fellow defensive players Jonathan Tah and Nico Schulz.
Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp will have a hard time landing third goalkeeper spot, which should be reserved for Bernd Leno. Jonas Hofmann was injured early and could not distinguish himself. Neuhaus managed to do this with another brave appearance. Both Borussia only have the problem that there are actually enough options on offense. More experienced and calmer players. Löw player.
That’s also the problem for Julian Brandt, who is actually in favor of the national coach. But Brandt also missed an opportunity in Leipzig, and perhaps that was the most emphatic idea of that night. The Dortmund player is extremely talented on the ball, but time and time again he makes mistakes with the stick, runs hard, mistakes zeal for overzealousness. The national coach gave him numerous opportunities to show himself and score against the offensive competition. Brandt now has 34 caps, which is not a small number. But he couldn’t convince on Wednesday either. Once he had a great opportunity in the first half and shot the ball instead of at goal, well, exactly, sky high.
Some 20 years ago, after the failed European Championship in 2000 and the World Cup at home, the DFB came up with the idea of bringing young players together in their own team. This is how “Team 2006” was born, it should be the talent pool of the future. Ten players were awarded to this so-called prospect team at the time before the project was crushed again. Most of those deployed at that time have been long forgotten, from Martin Meichelbeck to Bernd Korzynietz and Benjamin Lense to Frank Fahrenhorst. Some like Arne Friedrich and Mario Gomez later made the leap to the top, but this eleven from Leipzig is very reminiscent of the attempts made by the prospect team at the time.
After the final whistle on Wednesday, the stadium control sounded suddenly and loudly Handel’s “Hallelujah”. It wasn’t very clear who this was for. The narrow victory. Or the fact that the game was over.
