The German national team travelled to Chicago for their final warm-up friendly ahead of the World Cup this summer. Germany headed into the match with a bit of a hot streak coming in with an 8 match winning streak and an impressive 4-0 result over Finland in Mainz last weekend. This game proved to be Julian Nagelsmann’s last chance to tweak his squad and figure out how the attack would operate without Lennart Karl.
Leroy Sané is not starter quality
Did he score? Yes, but that doesn’t instantly make him a good performance. He was quick, and a good dribbler but he far too often skies his shots way over the net, and needs to look for his teammates in order for this attack to work with Sané included. It is not impossible but it is unlikely he will figure it out.
Kai Havertz needs to find a way to play in this squad
While Denis Undav had an incredible performance last weekend against Finland, Kai Havertz was the star performer today for Die Mannschaft. With a goal and an assist, it is clear Nagelsmann has a plethora of adequate options at the striker position. If Undav is to start this World Cup, Havertz’s recent performances should mean he is played every match whether at the 10, or up top as the 9.
Germany might struggle against top sides
Germany may have done enough to beat the United States today, but playing against an absolute top side such as France or Portugal won’t be as easy, if today was any sort of sign. USA was arguably the better side in Chicago, and the Portuguese or French midfield might be far too much for the Germans too handle if they were to face each other in the coming weeks.
The USMNT might be able to make a decent run in this tournament
The USA side was nothing to laugh about today, and showed they can play with the big boys at the moment. With the home advantage, an easy group matchup, and a favorable projected knockout route should they advance, we could see the United States make a quarter-finals run this summer.
Are they a top eight team in the world? Absolutely not, but those factors are important and it wouldn’t be surprising to see if their matchups go in their favor in the coming weeks.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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