In the final warmup friendly before the World Cup starts this week, Germany outlasted the United States for a 2-1 win in Chicago. Goals from Kai Havertz and Leroy Sané propelled Germany to victory while Antonee Robinson’s left-footed laser ruined Oliver Baumann’s clean sheet. Germany will look to ride this momentum and escape the group stage for the first time since winning the World Cup in 2014.
As a quick reminder, here is Germany’s upcoming schedule:
- Curaçao: Sunday, June 14th, 1pm EST (Houston, Texas)
- Côte d’Ivoire: Saturday, June 20th, 4pm EST (Toronto, Canada)
- Ecuador: Thursday, June 25th, 4pm EST (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
Since the USMNT is also followed and supported
by many of our readers, today’s special edition will include a jersey swap at every position.
Der Kaiser: Nico Schlotterbeck
Schlotterbeck immediately announced with a subtle pick play to free up Kai Havertz for the opening goal. The fiery Dortmund defender roamed the pitch, winning five out of five tackles, seven of eight ground duels and five of six aerial duels. He also displayed his leadership skills by earning a yellow card in the late scuffle between Timothy Weah and David Raum.
Jersey Swap: Antonee Robinson
Admittedly, Robinson did not have a stellar game on the defensive end of the pitch before removing himself in the second half with a cramp. Leroy Sané snuck behind him on a number of occasions only to fumble those opportunities. But when you score a highlight reel blast and celebrate with a super clean roundoff back tuck, you can have whatever award you want.
Fußballgott: Aleksandar Pavlović
Pavlović roamed all over the midfield, effectively neutralizing Weston McKinnie and Malik Tillman for most of the match. On top of his 15 carries, Pavlović added six defensive contributions and a whooping five recoveries. He added a couple shots to his typical high passing accuracy (89%), leaving no doubt that he is Nagelsmann’s primary choice at the defensive midfielder spot.
Jersey Swap: Tyler Adams
Bayern Munich transfer target Sergino Dest led this award for most of the first half because his constant pressure forced Nathaniel Brown to stay on the backline and abandon offensive support for Florian Wirtz, effectively shutting down half of the field for Germany’s attack.
As the match wore on and Dest disappeared, Adams’ physicality set the tone. He won 10 of 14 ground duels and was only dribbled past once. After conceding an early goal, the 2022 World Cup captain settled down his team and the USMNT was arguably the better team in the first half.
Der Bomber: Leroy Sané
Lennart Karl’s devastating injury created an opportunity for Sané and he took full advantage. Sané was by far the most effective in Germany’s attacking midfield. He played with high energy on both ends of the pitch and was eventually rewarded with a favorable deflection on his game winning goal in the 57th minute.
Germany will need a lot more out of Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala if they want to make any sort of run in the World Cup. Wirtz looked disinterested and Musiala continues to prove that he is an awkward fit as a central attacking midfielder.
Jersey Swap: Christian Pulisic
The USMNT will go as far as Pulisic can take them. His twitchy style constantly drew the attention of the defense and he does not get enough credit for the forward runs that he makes but the USMNT defenders are simply incapable of completing those passes. Like Musiala, Pulisic does not always receive the whistles that he deserves, especially around the box.
Meister of the Match: Kai Havertz
Havertz created a variety of opportunities throughout the match, including his easy header goal in the second minute. On Leroy Sané’s goal, Havertz controlled a hard pass from Jamal Musiala and laid it off perfectly.
Havertz was active moving off the ball and finding space for himself and his teammates. With Chris Richards still injured, Havertz exposed the USMNT’s center-backs by constantly making diagonal runs to get behind them and send balls across the face of goal. Most importantly, Havertz fulfills the tactical desires of Julian Nagelsmann by possessing a different skill set than Deniz Undav.
Jersey Swap: Jim Cornelison
On a hot and humid day, Cornelison stepped on the pitch sporting a USA scarf in a full suit and did not break a sweat as he showcased why he is the gold standard of national anthems. The operatic tenor crushed the pregame ritual to fire up the crowd.
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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