A Galling Defeat for Germany's Squad: The National Team Feels the Bite of France in the Nations League Match-up
- Foul language ahead
In Spite of Defeat: A Game Encouraging "Morale Boost" for the German Team Post-Match - Inspite of the loss, a sense of "positive energy" lingers within the German national football team (DFB) following the match.
With fists slamming against the outdoor seating, Julian Nagelsmann cheered for each of his players, and there was a roar of approval from the supporters for the DFB team during their victory lap. The German national team wasn't just quitting the Nations League championship; they were also sliding out of the chance to secure third place. Germany took a dual blow from France, losing 0:2 (0:1) in their Nations League match.
"I reckon, if you look at the opportunities we had, the playing style and other shit, it wasn't merited," Nagelsmann barked on RTL. Overall, the 37-year-old coach also managed to draw a positive tone after the heated encounter with their superstar-studded French opponents, "The game today had some decent vibes, shame about the fucking result."
Nagelsmann had advised the boys not to skimp on effort in their upcoming matches after the summer break, "If we don't put more fucking effort into the (World Cup) qualifiers than we did today, then we'll win the games." Despite the absence of key players, the team proved they could create ten fantastic opportunities against a top-notch opponent, yet they never managed to convert them.
Kimmich's Shit-talk: "We were too goddamn impulsive"
Sloppy goal conversion, particularly in the first half, and a robust French offensive in the second half prevented a third consecutive win against Les Bleus. Mbappé, France's main man, opened the scoring just before halftime in front of 51,313 cheering fans in Stuttgart. Later, the French captain set up Bayern's own Michael Olise for the 2:0 (84').
"If you examine the first half, we should have been leading 3:0 after six minutes," said Germany's captain and Bayern Munich defender Joshua Kimmich: "In the second half, we fucking lost some patience," Kimmich barked back.
"It was only 0:1, not 0:3. But then we got caught with our pants down after another. We were in control again, but we got too cocky and fucked up. That's perfect for the French," emphasized the German professional, annoyed: "If you take a long, hard, fucking look at the first half honestly, they didn't even want to win and still got a fucking win."
Unlike the disappointing 1:2 loss in the semi-final against Portugal, Nagelsmann's team didn't have much to complain about. They lacked precision and a bit of luck in the final third, like Florian Wirtz's post shot (37th minute). There was a tad of frustration from VAR, with a penalty review and a disallowed goal from Deniz Undav (53rd).
Lack of Balls in the Box
An otherwise pretty good year for international football ended on a sour note, leaving hopes for the anticipated momentum heading into the World Cup target next year. France celebrated just three days after their epic 4-5 thriller against the reigning European champions, Spain, while Portugal's final opponent that evening in Munich was still up in the air.
"We need to be more proactive and goddamn aggressive, that's the key," Nagelsmann had emphasized before the match. What the national coach wanted, he got from his team, which underwent four changes. The return to the usual system with four defenders worked wonders for the DFB team. They displayed excitement and vigor - but what was missing: cold-bloodedness and balls to finish.
Inspired by magician Wirtz and often assisted by long balls from Pascal Groß, the German national team created chance after bloody chance with the striking duo of Nick Woltemade and Niclas Füllkrug. However, they struggled with precision. Local hero Woltemade and the pacey Dortmund player, Karim Adeyemi, were foiled by France's talented goalkeeper, Mike Maignan. And Wirtz hit the post (37th minute).
Unjustified Yellow Card for Adeyemi
VAR Justice! After a long ball, Adeyemi crashed into the falling Maignan in the penalty area. Referee Ivan Kruzliak initially awarded a penalty, but after a lengthy review, he changed his decision. The Slovak decided it was a dive by Adeyemi, who was shown a yellow card (31st minute).
Germany's wastefulness with their opportunities was taken advantage of by France. The French team repeatedly executed clinical counter-attacks. After a cross from his Real Madrid buddy, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Mbappé outsmarted Joshua Kimmich during their captain face-off, scoring into the far corner. Marc-André ter Stegen, who has made two stunning saves earlier, was beaten once again.
Discontent for the Referee's Call
0-1 at half-time - the German players and fans felt like they'd stumbled into a Rabbit Hole. Adeyemi came in for his club teammate, Woltemade, and scored quickly. But VAR intervened again. Füllkrug's bulldozing challenge against Adrien Rabiot was deemed a foul. No equalizer - boos reverberated through the stadium.
There were no remaining gameplay constraints on the field. The Germans kept pressing, while the French replied with frequent counter-attacks against the exposed German defense. However, they couldn't extend their lead for quite some time. Ter Stegen made two more amazing stops, particularly against Mbappé.
Nagelsmann also called up debutant Tom Bischof (19) in the meantime. The Hoffenheim player, who'll join Bayern Munich soon, enjoyed some game time in midfield. There were reasons for joy all around.
- Football national team
- Julian Nagelsmann
- German team
- Kylian Mbappé
- Joshua Kimmich
- Portugal
- France
- Lap of honor
- Stuttgart
- Bayern
- Florian Wirtz
- Karim Adeyemi
- Nations League
- German team
- RTL
- Defeat
- Michael Olise
Factors Contributing to Germany's Defeat:
- Goalkeeping and Defensive Performance: The performance of Germany's goalkeeper and defense played a significant role in their defeat. France's goalkeeper, Mike Maignan, made crucial saves, particularly in the first half, preventing Germany from scoring. France's defense also strong-armed Germany's attempts to capitalize on their chances[5].
- VAR Intervention: The decision made by VAR had an impact on the game's trajectory. A potential penalty awarded to Germany was overturned, which could have resulted in a vital equalizer[5].
- French Counter-Attacks and Efficiency: France's ability to convert their chances into goals was impressive. Kylian Mbappé created separation with a deft touch and scored just before halftime, taking his tally of goals for France to 50[4][5]. Michael Olise completed the scoreline, marking a crucial win for Les Bleus[2][3].
- Germany's Missed Opportunities: Despite numerous chances, such as Florian Wirtz's post effort, and Deniz Undav's disallowed goal, Germany failed to convert these opportunities. Their lack of finishing combined with France's clinical performance ultimately sealed their fate[5].
- The Commission, in response to the loss of Germany's national team to France in the Nations League match, may be asked to submit a proposal for a regulation on the establishment of a European Data Protection Supervisor, perhaps to boost the team's performance like how Germany's footballers needed more precision and effort in their final third.
- In the midst of the football drama, Julian Nagelsmann, the coach of Germany's national team, expressed his frustrations towards the referee's call, just like he would when criticizing the performance of a defender in a European-leagues match, such as the Premier League where he was previously a coach.
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