2-0 defeat against Colombia: Nothing works for the DFB team

Joshua Kimmich had just pulled the black, red and gold bandage over his left upper arm. The Munich player was substituted on in the 79th minute, and even before he had actively participated in the game in which the German national soccer team was already 1-0 down against Colombia, a cross sailed from the right into the penalty area, onto Kimmich’s captain’s arm, from there to the slightly splayed right – he knew at that moment what the consequence was: penalty.

Because Juan Cuadrado used it in a cool way in the hot and humid atmosphere of the Schalke Arena (82nd minute), the Germans were now quite hopelessly behind after Luis Diaz conceded the first goal (54th). This did not change in the remaining season, in which the Colombian crowd celebrated every pass from their team with an “olé”, so that the players and national coach Hansi Flick trotted into the summer break with another strong blow.

You had to say: The 0:2 was okay at the end of an unimaginative and flawed performance, the last impression of a modest international year was no better than many before, three wins, three draws and five defeats are in the season balance sheet. It will continue in September, against Japan and France, then, as Flick announced on Monday, “everything should look completely different”.

Kimmich on the bench

But beyond the question of whether the latest results simply reflect the current level of German football: whether the knowledge gained outweighs the loss of trust that the three games in June brought with them, the national coach can now answer for himself – if the job guarantee is valid for him.

On Monday, Flick was also asked who would be captain, and when he said it was after most international matches, that was customary, Kimmich was taken for granted. On Tuesday evening, Ilkay Gündogan wore the bandage – which had the simple and surprising reason that Kimmich was sitting on the bench.

Flick did not move away from his plan to regard the June international matches as an extensive series of tests, even in the face of the ongoing crisis in results and mood. Compared to the 0:1 in Poland, he made five changes: instead of Kehrer, Henrichs, Hofmann and Wirtz, Wolf, Gosens, Goretzka and Sané started. Flick stayed with the chain of three, with Can standing in the middle.

The mood in the very well-filled Schalke Arena was great, which was also due to the strong Colombian faction. After a quarter of an hour, the German team had earned a small bonus with at least a committed start. Not that there was a goal threat, but at least something like stability, not a matter of course in these weeks.

Overall too little

This should be ensured by Goretzka and Musiala, who shared the defensive control center, Musiala is definitely one of the players in whom Flick sees potential “sixes”, but the Munich player was also the one on the way forward who sometimes to brought murmurs, even if it stayed with the hint.

He and Gündogan further forward, in the left offensive half-space, were the ones whose ideas mattered, but the German game with the ball didn’t really get going – which also had to do with the fact that Flick apparently dosed the risk and initially an unpleasant surprise wanted to avoid. For a while that looked uninspired but reasonably solid, although there were signs that there was danger on crosses.

Dissatisfied: national coach Hansi Flick in the game against Colombia : Image: EPA

As if out of nowhere, there was an acute threat of a deficit after half an hour. Rudiger had played a weak pass, not his first, Can rushed in to level but swept wide, two Colombians, Borré and Luis Diaz, charged the German goal and a razor-sharp tackle from Thiaw meant nothing happened. Shortly thereafter, danger was imminent when Mina forced ter Stegen to make a save from a distance.

During this phase, the German team began to falter, but regained their composure to some extent before the break. A combination via Havertz gave Musiala another good chance – after 44 minutes it was the first real one. The audience gave the team a few whistles at half-time that that was not enough overall. After that, Flick changed little at first, Henrichs came for Wolf, but not much changed in the game as a whole. Can’s loss of possession against Borré led to the 0:1, on Cuadrado’s cross Luis Diaz ran free behind Thiaw and headed in.

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Flick watched it for a while, then switched to 4-2-3-1, his team attacked earlier, but not effectively. In the 66th minute, the national coach changed another rule: Füllkrug came for Can, Musiala moved forward, Gündogan back to Goretzka’s side.

It was now getting hot in general, Füllkrug cleared a Colombian, Henrichs as well. But nothing constructive emerged from the signals. For the last quarter of an hour, Flick sent Kimmich and Brandt onto the field for Gündogan and Havertz – but that also backfired that evening.