Germany progressed to the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in 12 years and it was far from smooth sailing save for the 7-1 win against Curaçao. Germany nearly lost to Ivory Coast in the second group match, needing a last-minute Deniz Undav winner, and proceeded to lose in a pathetic manner to Ecuador. Toni Kroos recalled the first do-or-die match at the 2014 World Cup and believes the current DFB squad isn’t as strong as the team that World Cup-winning team.
“We used to have games
where we played poorly — against Algeria, for example. But we were still able to win those games. I don’t think the team has that ability right now,” the 36-year-old remarked critically (as captured by Sky Sports Germany). Kroos also pointed out that while the current team tries their best, the physicality is not there to help their cause to win games (like in the games against the Ivorians and the Ecuadorians).
“This is a group that gives it their all. But I’m not the kind of coach who would say that wasn’t the reason at all,” Kroos said. “You always have that in the back of your mind once you’ve advanced further. You can’t shake that thought. It’s perfectly human. We’re just not a physical team.”
