German National Football Squad
Germany Suffers Shock Defeat in World Cup Qualifier Against Slovakia
The German national football team faced a disappointing start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, losing 0-2 to Slovakia on Sunday in Cologne. The defeat was a stark reminder of the gloomy days of the German team under Joachim Loew and Hansi Flick.
In the match against Slovakia, the team struggled to create scoring opportunities, with only three attackers, Nick Woltemade, Florian Wirtz, and Serge Gnabry, on the pitch. The decisive, goal-threatening passes were missing, and the team could not put pressure on the opponent, creating more than two convincing scoring chances.
The defense was shaky, and the Slovak team could be criticized for lacking scoring opportunities. However, the team's midfield, including Robert Andrich, Pascal Groß, and Paul Nebel, showed potential for improvement in the upcoming matches.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann admitted that the team lacked "emotion" on Thursday evening. He had previously formed a "group" that played on par with the eventual European champion Spain in the quarter-finals of the EM. Nagelsmann also saw Joshua Kimmich as the most logical solution for the right-back position, as he is one of the world's best right-backs.
Maximilian Mittelstaedt, a left-footed player who only needs his right foot to stay upright, was moved to the right-back position due to Nnamdi Collins' struggles in his debut for the DFB. Kimmich, who is currently included in the German national team squad for the 2026 World Cup qualification matches, was named in the midfield alongside other key players for the matches against Slovakia and Northern Ireland.
Despite the defeat, Nagelsmann remains optimistic about the team's chances in the qualifiers. He allowed Leon Goretzka to play in the national team again in March 2025 and believes that a win in the qualifying match against Northern Ireland should be the goal if one wants to become world champions. The team will need to address their issues in creating scoring opportunities and solidifying their defense to avoid missing even the qualification for the World Cup next year.
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