The World Cup has finally started for Germany and what a start it was. Germany crushed Mr. Ronaldo and his Portuguese team 4-0 in their opening match on Monday afternoon. To be honest I didn’t expect that at all. On the other hand I didn’t expect Holland to beat Spain 5-1 on Friday, so I may not be the best when it comes to score predictions.
As we are writing about Arsenal and that’s to be honest the only thing in football that really matters let’s have a look at how our German Gunners did yesterday.
Joachim Löw started with Per Mertesacker as part of his back four, which itself was made up entirely of centre-backs, in a decision that was widely criticised by the German pundits as they feared that may hamper Germany’s offensive potential on the wings. As we saw, it didn’t. It lead to a strong defensive basis for Joachim Löw’s tactics in midfield/attack. Mertesacker, just like the rest of the defence, was as solid as a rock. Just as we saw him nearly all season long at Arsenal, he controlled during corners keeping his back four tight.
With Bastian Schweinsteiger on the bench and Philipp Lahm as a link-up player between midfield and defence, it was Mesut Özil, Mario Götze and Thomas Müller’s turn to spark up Germany’s attack. At by the end of the match, it’s fair to say that they did just that.
Müller was the Man of the Match and there’s no doubt about that. But Özil played a huge part in it as well. The corner which led to Mats Hummels’ goal was a result of his good run into the box, and his pass into the middle which was blocked for a corner.
Özil himself had a great chance to make it 4-0 at the start of the second half but the keeper could block his shot. Özil was substituted midway through the second half with the match done and dusted for the Germans. For all those who tried to read something into his mind, simply don’t try to. He looks a bit grumpy most of the time, especially when he’s substituted. Özil was praised for his movement and runs by Joachim Löw in the post-match interviews.
Lukas Podolski was a late substitute for Germany and he was on fire from the off. He didn’t have a chance on goal but his passion and number of runs were there to say ‘I’m here if you need me’.
After his excellent performances in Germany’s last pre-World Cup friendlies, I expected him to start, but with the triple false nine formation there was surely no place for him to fit into. Podolski will no doubt get his chance and will make an impact at this World Cup. With the heat in Brazil, it’s a must to have a big quality squad which is what Germany boast. Podolski is one of them, and if his only contribution is a selfie with German chancellor Angela Merkel, then that’s fine for me as well.
Next up for Germany is Ghana, who stand with their back against the wall after their late loss against the USA. Another opportunity for the German Gunners to shine.
Cheers,
Chris Mader
Mad, Jens-like, thirty-something German. Waving the Arsenal flag in Münster, Germany. Red member. Visiting Arsenal matches for more than 10 years now. Still fussed EasyJet won’t get me free flights. Always down N5 with my dad. Worked in London for about half a year. Started my own German Arsenal blog about two years ago. Expert on Bundesliga issues. BVB my local club.
Ozil’s tn was good and he was floating in both sides. In fact the German front was floating around making them very hard to track. On the down size, Ozil is still not at his best. Expected more from him. It’s a long campaign, we can wait