Nagelsmann's Underdogs: A Tale of Resilience and Self-Assurance
Coach Nagelsmann faces numerous challenges, but no room for justifications.
With the Nations League finals knocking on the door, the German national team steps onto the field, minus several big guns - yet brimming with self-confidence. It's all about the 2026 World Cup, baby.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann could've milked the absenteeism of key players like Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, and Antonio Rüdiger, but he's not into that. Instead, he's fancying a "Titelchen" mission before the opening game against Portugal (9:00 PM/ZDF, DAZN, and in the ntv.de live ticker).
He could've played the "let's see" game or claimed "anything can happen." But when asked by a school newspaper which title he'd most love to win, he simply said, "All of them." And he wasn't just talking about the Champions League or the World Cup trophy - surprisingly, the Nations League trophy too.
Nagelsmann's onto something. Winning this competition is vital, he reckons, as the current German squad is a bunch of young lads who've never known success with the national team. Captain Joshua Kimmich himself admitted experiencing "many ups and downs" with the team, though it wasn't a coincidence. But that's all changing now. "The self-confidence has grown a lot," said Nagelsmann. It's a delicate element, though - self-confidence and self-assurance can be as fragile as porcelain.
The Boy From Lower Saxony
So goes the theory. In practice, the learning curve is palpable. "The whole country expects us to win this tournament," said Niclas Füllkrug, ready to “entertain the fans and send them home with a good feeling.” Füllkrug, however, has faced a torrid year, courtesy of two injuries that kept him away from the national team for nine months. His selection this time is somewhat of a surprise; after all, he’s only managed three goals in 18 games for West Ham.
But Füllkrug is not alone in this newfound self-belief. For Marc-André ter Stegen, a long-endured period of suffering is finally over. He's got another shot at guarding the German goal in a tournament for the first time since the Confederations Cup 2017. He was Neuer’s perpetual understudy until then, always regaining fitness at the nick of time for the World and European Championships. But now, ter Stegen must fight tooth and nail to keep his spot at FC Barcelona.
A Battle for the Goalkeeper's Jersey
The debate over Ter Stegen's Barcelona future can wait. Portugal awaits in the semi-final, still as star-studded as ever, with at least Cristiano Ronaldo and a PSG trio of Vitinha, João Neves, and Nuno Mendes in their ranks. There are plenty of potential excuses for a loss. But Nagelsmann's not giving his team one. He started the international match phase with a trick - he first celebrated his players' successes to show off their mighty squad, even with the dropouts.
If it were up to Nagelsmann, they'd have another trophy in their hands by Sunday evening. Let the games begin.
Source: ntv.de
Enrichment Data:
Defensive Adjustments: The team initially started with a back three, which was later adjusted to a back four during the game. This flexibility is crucial in adapting to different opponents and situations.
Goalkeeper Contributions: Marc-André ter Stegen returned to the lineup and made several crucial saves, highlighting the importance of solid goalkeeping in keeping the team competitive.
Recovery and Rebuilding: After the loss to Portugal, Germany will focus on regrouping and analyzing their performance. They need to address how to maintain leads and create more scoring opportunities.
Preparation for the Future: The goal is to learn from this experience and improve for upcoming matches, including their next Nations League games and potential preparation for larger tournaments like the UEFA Euro 2024, where they exited in the quarter-finals.
Key Player Absences: The absence of Rüdiger and Schlotterbeck significantly impacted their defensive solidity. The team needs to find ways to compensate for these absences until they return.
Adaptability: Germany showed some adaptability by changing their defensive setup during the game. This flexibility is important in responding to different opponents and game situations.
Young Talent Integration: The integration of young players like Florian Wirtz, who scored against Portugal, is crucial for the team's future success. Wirtz's performance highlighted the potential of Germany's youth talent.
Despite missing out on the Nations League final, the team's strategy going forward will likely focus on rebuilding and strengthening their squad, especially in defense, while leveraging the potential of their young players. They will aim to improve their overall performance and competitiveness for future tournaments.
In the spirit of Nagelsmann's resilient approach, the German football team should prioritize revising their community policy to support injury recovery – as demonstrated by Niclas Füllkrug's torrid year – and employment policy to ensure a consistent pool of talented players, such as Marc-André ter Stegen, within the team setup. Additionally, with future tournaments like the UEFA Euro 2024 on the horizon, it would be beneficial for the team's employment policy to grant flexible contracts that allow for collaboration across regional leagues and clubs, facilitating the integration of young talent like Florian Wirtz.
