Everybody expected Germany to romp to an easy victory over Curaçao in Die Mannschaft‘s opening fixture and they duly obliged, running out 7-1 victors. However, it was not always clear the game would end so one-sided. After the Germans took an early 5th minute goal, the Dutch Caribbean island achieved a moment of glory by equalizing through a Livano Comenencia goal in the 21st minute. The Curaçao attack managed to cut through the German defense, leaving Comenencia with an uncontested shot from around
18 yards, which whistled past captain Joshua Kimmich and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into the back of the net.
Given Neuer’s recent controversial return to the German national team, letting the minnows score with their first shot on target did little to quell unease about the 40-year-old’s return to the national team fold. But, as Neuer detailed after the match, the shot was just about impossible to save:
“I actually was going to save it but the ball took a deflection and the distance was too close to react,” the Bayern Munich captain explained (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “It was just unfortunate.”
It is easy to see the ball taking a nick off of Kimmich on its’ way into the goal and deflecting it away from Neuer. Ultimately, of course, the goal did not keep Germany from winning and provided the island with an unforgettable World Cup goal.
But, at the same time, Neuer is just three World Cup clean sheets away from equalling the all time record. It would have been wonderful for him if, on the night that he became Germany’s oldest ever World Cup participant, he would have gotten one step closer to another record.
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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