At the World Cup in Qatar, Germany plunged into crisis against Japan, the attempt to restart failed with a crash against the same opponent on Saturday evening (September 9th, 2023): After a disgraceful performance, there was the next home defeat with an even flattering 1: 4 (1:2) – the DFB team can no longer seem to be able to stop the free fall under Hansi Flick.
Flick had tried a lot, changed a lot, made clear appeals to players and fans, installed a new captain and mothballed his three-man chain experiment. None of this worked. Nine months before the home European Championship, the German team is dilettanteed, helpless and disorientated, through a permanent crisis from which there is no apparent way out – at least not with this coach.
Flick denies Germany the “basics”.
Flick then said on RTL: “First of all, you’re obviously disappointed, we just don’t have the means at the moment to create scoring chances against such a compact team like Japan. We tried again and again in the second half, but then of course they come individual mistakes. Japan is simply well trained and has the basics down pat – we in German football have to wake up and work on it, even if that doesn’t help us at the moment.”
When asked about his personal future, Flick replied: “I think we’re doing well and I’m the right coach. But I know that there’s a lot of dynamism in professional football. I can’t foresee what else will come.”
This time on RTL, national team director Rudi Völler avoided making a clear commitment to Flick’s future: “I admit, we are still a bit in shock. We would do well to calm down a bit now, sleep on it for a night and then we’ll see further.”
Ilkay Gündogan admitted on the Sportschau microphone: “It feels as if German football is on the ground. It’s a very bitter day today. You have to be honest and say that the Japanese were better in all respects. But through our individual mistakes, we also sent invitations to them – if that happens so often, then you have no chance.”
Visible frustration in the DFB team: Sané insults Süle
In the official gallery, the stone faces of DFB President Bernd Neuendorf and the two powerful men Rudi Völler and Hans-Joachim Watzke spoke volumes for almost the entire duration of the game. And in the 38th minute, all the frustration became audible and visible within the German team.
Leroy Sané was completely dissatisfied with a pass from Niklas Süle, shouted across half the field and couldn’t be calmed down by Joshua Kimmich, who was apparently trying to mediate things. Süle was anything but insightful, gesticulating and rather rudely indicating that Sané should choose the right path.
This scene did not cause any increased attention in the team. A minute and a half later, Nico Schlotterbeck embarrassed his fellow man Antonio Rüdiger with a terrible cross pass in his own defensive zone that Japan’s center forward Ayase Ueda was allowed to run freely towards Marc-André ter Stegen. The Barca keeper made a brilliant save with his foot, otherwise this game would probably have been decided against the DFB team before the break.
Panic in the German defense
Because at that point it was already 1:2. Germany, with new captain Ilkay Gündogan and new right-back Kimmich, started with commitment, pressed early and tried to switch quickly after winning the ball. But defensively, sheer panic broke out again and again against the fast Japanese.
After ten minutes, left-back Schlotterbeck was outmaneuvered by Yukinari Sugarawa with a simple hip waggle, the cross landed at Junya Ito, who, with slight support from Rüdiger, poked the ball into the near corner to make it 1-0 for the guests. Germany remained extremely vulnerable, especially on the left side of the defense, but there was also a lot of disarray in the central defensive midfield with Emre Can and Gündogan.
Ilkay Gündogan in the game against Japan
Sané scores the equalizer
Flick’s protégés became dangerous when it came through Kimmich and Sané, as was the case with the 1-1 equalizer in the 19th minute: via Kimmich, Gündogan and Wirtz, the ball landed at Sané, who executed it precisely and flatly. The Wolfsburg crowd then hoped for a little more security in the German actions, but just three minutes later they were hit at the back again: Ayase Ueda, after an unsuccessful shot from Ueda, finished freely in front of the goal because Süle kept a three-meter safety distance.
Understandably, the Germans were accompanied into the dressing room with a loud concert of whistles, but Flick nevertheless sent the same formation onto the pitch at the beginning of the second half. And the problems remained. Ter Stegen saved twice in the 48th minute, first against Ueda, then against Hidemasa Morita’s follow-up shot.
Asano and Tanaka put the lid on it
What followed was sobering: Germany tried a lot, played mostly for a goal – and yet had next to no chance.
Ticker to read: Germany versus Japan arrow right
A mistake by Robin Gosens, who came on for Schlotterbeck, initiated the counterattack to make it 3-1 in the 90th minute, which, like at the World Cup, was completed by Bochum’s Takuma Asano. In stoppage time, Süle once again stood far too far away from his opponent, and Ao Tanaka nodded in unchallenged to make it 4-1.
