An open letter by a German football team fan
Dear reader,
It’s hard not to sound negative when Germany has just exited their second straight FIFA World Cup at the group stage. To most countries in the world, playing in consecutive World Cups would be an absolute dream. But we are talking about 4-time World Champions here. A country that has played in a final every decade since the 1950s. Disappointment is justified.
First things first, Germany was probably the only major side to make a visual gesture against some of the problems surrounding the hosts. Many people gave them flak for it, calling it one of the reasons for their exit. Personally, though, I appreciate their effort and totally support them in the cause. The circumstances are not ideal, so much so that many in Germany are actually boycotting the World Cup. Win or lose, it wouldn’t even matter to them.
I for one, sitting four thousand miles away, wasn’t courageous enough to replicate that. But would you blame me for wanting to watch my favorite team in the biggest tournament in the world? 10 years back, the likes of Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Muller, Ozil, Gomez, and others helped me fall in love with this sport. Since then, there is no sporting entity in the world I look forward to supporting more. No individual, no team, not even Bayern Munich. And it’s not like the German team hasn’t warranted this level of passion from me. They gave me one of the greatest joys of my life in 2014. When Joachim Low asked 22-year-old Mario Goetze to show the world that he is better than Messi, magically for just one match he actually did.
Now, on to the present situation. On the surface level, it is easy to say what went wrong. The defense is leaky and fragile and the team lacks a center forward and a right back. What concerns me more, is that Germany went out of the 2020 Euros facing the exact same issues. Why can’t the land of Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, and Philipp Lahm, arguably the very best in their roles, produce decent center-backs, strikers, and full-backs anymore?
Attempting to answer these could lead to even more questions. Was it right to leave Mats Hummels home? Should Fullkrug or Moukoko have been used as No9 from the start? Why does every tournament end with hastily shifting Kimmich from midfield to right-back? I am no football expert. Therefore, I can’t comment on whether it’s a development problem or a coaching problem.
Coming to coaching, it is easy to blame Hansi Flick for this debacle. I’m not saying he should go unscathed. Someone has to answer these questions. But we should also remember that the team did quite well in chance creation. And it did go out on just goal difference. People might also question the legitimacy of Japan’s second goal against Spain. But that’s football for you. Always have to have things under your own control.
Now, to the positive, and yes it’s singular because there only seems to be one. Jamal Musiala. When was the last time a 19-year-old carried the hopes of an entire nation at this big a stage? To be honest, no one even expected this from him. But the circumstances were such, that Musiala took it upon himself to carry Germany’s baton. Which speaks volumes about this character and temperament. In the match against Costa Rica, he completed 13 dribbles, the second most ever recorded in a World Cup game. Against Spain, he was gliding with the ball against arguably the best midfield in the world. The only bit of concern was his finishing, which he is actually good at if you go by his club record. I hope Germany could create a framework around him for the future, for letting such a talent go underutilized is nothing short of a sin.
Football can be a funny game. A few months back I bought a Japan jersey, bearing the fact in mind that they might very well end up defeating Germany. I have enjoyed watching Japan since the days of Keisuke Honda and love watching Daichi Kamada play for Eintracht Frankfurt. Japan has done something very special, not just for themselves, but for the entire football fraternity. They have made this World Cup memorable for many. I wish I could have felt the same joy from their performance. I certainly would have had it been any other team they had eliminated. Going forward, Japan would face Croatia, another one of those teams I absolutely adore. The good thing is, at least one of them makes it to the Quarterfinal. The bad thing, whoever does that is very likely to face Brazil. Nevertheless, I’ll provide my wholehearted support to both Japan and Croatia.
Back to Germany, and their future. They are hosting the 2024 Euros. We didn’t expect Germany to win this World Cup. What many of us wanted from them was to use this tournament as a platform to grow. So that two years from now, they might actually be among the contenders at home. Fair to say things haven’t gone as planned. Suggestions are being made for grassroots level revamp, like the one in the early 2000s. After successive Euro disasters in 2000 and 2004, Germany finally emerged as a footballing powerhouse again in 2006.
I don’t believe the situation is that dire. Simply because Germany still has an immense pool of talent. I am choosing my next few words very carefully. Because many of their youth stars in recent times have flattered to deceive. And yet, I have hope for the ones next in line. We have already talked about the genius of Jamal Musiala. Karim Adeyemi has had a tough time since he moved to Dortmund, but the boy can do wonders. So can his 17-year-old clubmate, Youssoufa Moukoko, who many hope (cautiously) can answer Germany’s No9 problems. And then there is Florian Wirtz. If you had read my article on him, you would know how big a fan of his I am. Wirtz is though, returning after a long injury. And football can often be very unpredictable in such cases. A trace of optimism left in me still wants me to believe that Wirtz will make a successful comeback and become a vital cog in the German side.
https://medium.com/@sameershekhawat98/bundesligas-blue-eyed-boy-florian-wirtz-943aaf5bc1ba
Conclusion — Nostalgic about the past, disappointed by the present, cautiously optimistic for the future. I will continue watching any and every match featuring this team — friendlies, qualifiers, Nations League, and so on. Only time will tell whether my hopes for the future were justified or not. For now, let’s enjoy the World Cup. Cheers!
