Neil Humphreys: Mexico stun world champs
Older, slower Germans suffer nightmare in World Cup opener
World Cup holders can lose their opening games. They just can't lose opening games quite like this.
Germany were so un-German-like in defeat this morning (Singapore time) that coach Joachim Loew might want to check the passports in his dressing room.
GERMANY | MEXICO |
0 | 1 |
Apart from a late rally, the world champions were comfortably defeated in their Group F opener. Mexicans waved them goodbye. The 1-0 win was routine and the finger pointing must now begin.
In this case, culpability begins with the coach. Strange squad selections, a bizarre formation and a worrying lack of pace and invention must alarm the Germans.
One of the quirkier stats involving Die Mannschaft may yet prove to be the most relevant. Their starting XI against Mexico was their oldest World Cup side since their 2002 final loss against Brazil.
For much of a spellbinding game, they played like it.
The contest wasn't quite German zimmer frames against zippy Mexicans, but it often felt that way.
The exuberant Central Americans were faster, livelier and often more entertaining than their illustrious opponents.
Following coach Juan Carlos Osorio's clear instruction, Mexico exerted a high press that was great fun to watch. Neither the Germans nor their perplexed coach Loew appeared to have a counter-strategy.
Instead, the world champions looked old, staid and rarely inspired.
Sami Khedira and Thomas Mueller were often bypassed in midfield as the Mexicans launched passes from back to front with aplomb.
Carlos Vela and Hirving Lozano devoured the vacant space on the left like an old Donald Trump real estate deal.
Indeed Germany have something in common with the United States president. They couldn't build a satisfactory wall to keep the Mexicans out.
Right-back Joshua Kimmich always impressed going forward, but defensively he is not always aware of his behaviour and surroundings .
MISSING
Like Brazil's Marcelo, he has a tendency to go missing.
For Germany, the warnings were there long before Mexico scored.
Manuel Neuer made a couple of routine saves as his stiff, static back four occasionally creaked or went absent without official leave altogether and the underdogs deservedly went ahead in the 35th minute, through a magnificent breakaway goal.
The Mexicans stole possession from the dithering Germans and Javier Hernandez, so poor for West Ham last season, so lively against the world champions, spun away from his markers.
A couple of one-twos later and he left Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng auditioning for The Walking Dead while he slipped a pass to Lozano.
The 22-year-old winger has just finished a stellar first season with PSV Eindhoven. It could be his last with them.
Lozano cut inside and hammered a low shot past Neuer. His goal feels like a star turn. The agents will be circling.
At half-time, the vultures were circling around Loew's plodders. Their lack of pace was alarming. The fastest, most enterprising German forward wasn't inside Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.
Leroy Sane didn't make the cut. That decision now looks all the more baffling.
Critics will inevitably make unkind comparisons between Sane and the peripheral Julian Draxler, but Loew has more pressing issues than a straight swop among wingers.
Die Mannschaft looked genuinely dishevelled, lacklustre in attack, pedestrian in defence and mostly abject in midfield. The absence of a commanding defensive midfielder - such a reliable archetype in German football - often left gaps of up to 40m between their two lines.
Whenever the Mexicans pressed, Germany's back four found themselves in tricky one-on-one battles in dangerous areas. The formation wasn't just risky. It was anti-German.
Marco Reus eventually put Khedira out of misery, replacing the hapless midfielder on the hour mark. Poor Khedira, now 31, is unlikely to start again at this World Cup.
Inevitably, the Mexicans, unsure whether to stick or twist, invited their opponents forward in the second half.
Timo Werner, Draxler and Kimmich all went close. Even then, Hernandez and Lozano had opportunities to kill off the contest for Mexico.
For the game's romantics, veteran defender Rafael Marquez joined the fray in the latter stages and took over the armband. The 39-year-old Mexican equalled the record of captaining a country at five World Cups.
But his plucky teammates conspired to create a more memorable footnote.
They defeated the world champions in their opening match. Osorio's men must fancy their chances of reaching the knockout stages.
The world champions, on the other hand, will feel the weight of the world on their shoulders.
Germany need to start playing like Germany again, and quickly.
Catch the football fever at Resorts World Sentosa's live World Cup screenings from June 30!
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