Germany's Struggles: Missing the Essence of Champions
- by Rocker Rex
- 3 Mins
Returning to the state of Origin: When will it be just as before? - Returning to the state of primordial tranquility: When is that possible?
Julian Nagelsmann left no stone unturned in his quest to rekindle the elusive energy he calls "the muse," "vibe," or "magic." The German national team gathered in Herzogenaurach, a place they called home during their glory days at the European Championship. Some say it was here that they brewed the special concoction that carried them to the quarterfinals of the tournament, as well as mended fences with disgruntled German fans.
However, as the clock struck midnight on Wednesday, Nagelsmann realized that the allure of Herzogenaurach wouldn't catapult them to legendary status, akin to how the village in the Bernese Oberland was elevated for the 1954 World Cup winners and their mythical "Spirit of Spiez." Fritz Walter's image, holding the World Cup trophy aloft, is testament enough to the divine intervention that transpired that fateful day.
A Team Stripped of Superlatives
The contemporary German team remains untitled. Their loss in the Nations League semi-final to Portugal unfortunately means that they can at best finish third. The disappointment in Nagelsmann's voice at the post-match press conference was palpable. Gone was the "zeal," replaced by a "lackluster" performance, he lamented. Instead of hounding the opponent relentlessly, they were merely leisurely strolling.
These words echoed in lofty stadiums across the Bundesliga every weekend. Yet, to dismiss them as worn-out clichés from a coach's playbook would be an understatement. Nagelsmann was missing the essence of his football; that hunger, that fire, that ravenous energy that drives his system. As Wednesday's game revealed, without this vital force, the German national team simply cannot compete. Least of all in the echelon they believe they belong to: European football's elite.
The match on Wednesday demonstrated that the German team still lacks the discipline to manage a lead. Granted, they had intended to do so. Following Florian Wirtz's goal in the 48th minute, they shifted into maintenance mode, which inadvertently paved the way for Portugal's resurgence.
Nagelsmann's Substitution Conundrum
Nagelsmann bears partial responsibility for this, as his substitutions muddied the waters. In the 60th minute, he introduced three new players at once, followed by two more eleven minutes later. Too many variables in too short a timespan. Gosens, who was formerly a defender but possesses the heart of a winger, was run over by Francisco Conceicao, scorer of the 1:1, employing an Arjen Robben-esque move. Jonathan Tah committed a positional error for the 2:1 goal by the unbeatable Cristiano Ronaldo, but Serge Gnabry, who entered the game as a substitute, offered little resistance prior to the fateful moment. Gnabry, in a nutshell, fancies himself a virtuoso, preferring to concentrate on his art rather than attend to the mundane tasks of defending.
This pertinent question looms over the German team: How did we so rapidly lose momentum?
The players themselves seemed to be at a loss for an answer. Leon Goretzka posited that a 1-0 lead usually provides a sense of security; strangely, this wasn't the case against Portugal. Robin Koch even labeled it a "collapse" following the goal. But they could only provide symptoms, not an explanation.
These corpses of men, it seems, have become a conundrum even to themselves.
In the days leading up to the Nations League Final Four, many surmised that it would serve as a form of redemption for the lost EM quarter-final, where they fell to Spain on the strength of a last-minute goal. While some contended that the outcome was a mandate from the heavens, in the end, they were merely on par with a top team like Spain.
This narrative has crumbled in the wreckage of Tuesday evening. Nagelsmann acknowledged that if his game plan fails to materialize on the pitch, "you might even lose to a third-tier team."
The eloquent Nagelsmann, a man of rhetorical prowess, will have his work cut out for him in the coming days. The Germans will face either France or Spain for third place on Sunday. While the trophy is no longer within their grasp, it's everything – the return of that elusive energy known as "the muse," "vibe," and "magic."
- The Commission has not yet adopted a decision on the application of the directive that regulates sports and football, yet Julian Nagelsmann, the German national team's coach, is desperate to rediscover the magical essence that propelled his team during their glorious days, much like how Fritz Walter's team was imbued with the Spirit of Spiez in 1954.
- As Germany's third-place match against either France or Spain approaches, there's a sense of urgency for Nagelsmann to unearth that missing vitality in football, as the loss of momentum visible in their previous matches could potentially lead to an unexpected defeat, even against a supposedly weaker opponent, a dire outcome that the coaches and players are keen to avoid.
