Soccer
Germany made it nine wins out of nine with a 2-1 win over the USA in their last match before the World Cup.
The win, secured by goals from Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane, means they have won four successive friendlies, having also won their last six World Cup qualifiers. But Julian Nagelsmann knows tougher tests than this are not far away.
Just as he had for his club, Arsenal, in the Champions League final, Havertz gave Germany an early lead, this time after just two minutes. The striker, who joined the squad later than anyone else after that final, headed home from close range after just two minutes. Havertz was unmarked to nod home a Joshua Kimmich freekick from the right, with the US defense missing in action.
Germany could not build on the early lead though and were pegged back by Antonee Robinson’s brilliant long range volley on 37 minutes. The left back flashed his effort past Oliver Baumann and into the top corner from just outside the box after Jonathan Tah’s clearing header dropped to his left boot.
Soccer Havertz and Germany hitting form
After a stronger start to the second half for Germany, Havertz was involved again when they retook the lead on 57 minutes. The forward shifted the ball to the onrushing Leroy Sane in the box before the winger drilled home a low, first time, left-footed effort into the bottom corner. Both teams made a number of substitutions soon after, with Havertz and Kimmich among those given a little more rest before Germany open their World Cup campaign against debutants Curacao on June 14.
“All in all, we played a good game. We’re in good form,” Havertz told German broadcaster RTL after the game, adding, “We’re heading into the first game with our heads held high.”
Further substitutions from both sides slowed the game still further but Brendan Aaronson came close to equalizing for the USA in the final minutes, only to be denied by Baumann, allowing Germany to hang on.
Soccer Karl injury sours Germany mood despite win
Though the clash in Chicago may have allowed Germany to give most of their likely starters a runout out ahead of the start of the tournament in North America, any morale boost from the win had been offset by injury news that emerged in the buildup.
Bayern Munich’s attacking midfielder Lennart Karl, 18, was something of a wildcard for Julian Nagelsmann and may have provided a spark often lacking on Saturday. Karl made his breakthrough for the German champions this year and forced his way into national team contention with a string of fearlessly creative displays. He started and made a goal in Germany’s last friendly, a win against Finland, and seemed set to play a significant part in the tournament.
But a thigh injury sustained in the final training session before Saturday’s match meant Karl had to bid a tearful goodbye to the rest of the squad. As nations can make injury replacements to their squad up to 24 hours before their opening game, RB Leipzig’s Assan Ouedraogo will replace him.
“I feel incredibly sorry for Lenny,” said Julian Nagelsmann ahead of the game. “It’s a huge shock for him and all of us that he’s missing the World Cup. It’s only a small consolation that he’s young and has many tournaments ahead of him. We would have loved to have him on the team.”
Soccer Neuer short of fitness ahead of Germany World Cup opener
Nagelsmann also had some concerns at the other end of the pitch, and the age spectrum. The coach tempted Karl’s Bayern Munich teammate Manuel Neuer, 40, out of international retirement for one last crack at a second World Cup win, but Neuer has missed both pre-tournament friendly matches with a calf injury. Though Neuer is vastly experienced, he has not played a match since being subbed off in Bayern’s last Bundesliga game on May 16 and missed the German Cup final.
But the Germany coach said after Saturday’s win that he is confident Neuer will start the World Cup opener despite offering a “huge compliment” to Baumann, who will make way for the veteran.
Even if they do go into that Curacao match on the back of nine consecutive wins and with Neuer fit, the loss of Karl means Nagelsmann has work to do to lift the group before the serious business has even begun.
Edited by: Rana Taha
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