A minor issue for the German national team's goalkeepers.
As the upcoming European Championship for football in Europe draws closer, Germany's national team faces the dilemma of who will be their goalkeeper. Manuel Neuer has had a challenging season since his broken leg, and even his replacement has created problems. However, manager Nagelsmann remains confident in his first choice.
It has now been 546 days since Manuel Neuer last protected the German national team's goal. This was at the end of the last World Cup group match against Costa Rica, where Germany lost in the group stage. While this is not a new occurrence for the national team, Neuer faced something unusual: criticism of his abilities as a goalkeeper.
The national team's captain hadn't been this scrutinized before. Ingredients for this include the unfortunate World Cup defeat and his injury. After recuperating in Tegernsee, Neuer broke his shin and calf while skiing, and his return at Bayern was delayed by weeks and months. It wasn't until well after a year had passed that Neuer returned to the field at Bayern, and now, over a year later, he is back with the national team.
Nagelsmann has stated that Neuer will be his starting goalkeeper when they play Ukraine on Monday. However, during his recovery, Neuer experienced setbacks. He had minor knee issues that impacted his performance during a crucial match against Leverkusen, leading to a defeat. In March, he had to cancel his national team stand-in matches due to a rupture. During Nagelsmann's debut in November, Neuer was unable to make it. And now once again, he will miss beginning due to a stomach-intestinal infection. While he can be spotted in the German national team training camp in Thuringia, he's been spending most of his time in the fitness tent.
Neuer has always been an important part of the DFB team. His physical condition, though, has shown signs of decline. In 2018 (foot injury) and 2022 (shoulder problems), he recovered and returned, but wasn't in peak form. This has been a pattern for him to keep. His shot-blocking success of 60% in the Bundesliga season is far from perfect, and he made errors during high-stakes matches.
Moreover, Neuer's errors were startling, and not just limited to unimportant games. In Bayern's most recent loss, Neuer made three critical mistakes. In the 2:4 defeat against Hoffenheim, his performance was far from ideal. Against TSG, he fared a bit better, but it was a match that cost Munich the vice-championship. This is significant because he did not only make mistakes during ordinary matches but also during a high-level one, such as the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. Here, his exceptional performance was overshadowed by a critical lapse in judgment against Vinicius Jr., leading to a goal by Joselu and a nightmare ending.
This begs the question: how will this impact the DFB team?
Despite these challenges, Neuer will likely be their starting goalkeeper, with Nagelsmann promising to put him in goal against Scotland on June 14, as long as he's healthy. While the manager typically reserves special roles for both Leroy Sané and Manuel Neuer, Neuer's legacy and contribution to the team enforce that decision. Undoubtedly, Neuer's capabilities can leave outstanding strikers in despair and tip the scales in their favor.
In conclusion, Neuer may not have reached his best now, but he's still a strong force in the DFB team. With Nagelsmann's confidence in logging him in, Germany will lean on their lethal goalkeeper to help them through the European Championship. His resilience through injuries and performances in the past is a testament to his importance and noteworthy career. Ultimately, with age and physical setbacks, Neuer remains a foundational piece in the team's structure.
Additionally, the DFB team's goalkeeper position is not a weak spot on paper. This is because Neuer isn't the only world-class goalkeeper they have. The unlucky Marc-André ter Stegen has been playing at an impressive level for years at Barcelona. He was even named "Player of the Season" last year and was once called "Messi with gloves" by Marca. With any other national team, the 32-year-old would likely have a given place, but there's no other national team with a Manuel Neuer.
However, fate hasn't been kind to Ter Stegen. He had a tough year last year, battling back problems for a long time. Additionally, his team, FC Barcelona, had a chaotic and unsuccessful season like FC Bayern. Most recently, he also made a major blunder when he attempted to outrun a Striker from Valencia. Ter Stegen's ball only reached waist height, which allowed Hugo Duro to score an empty goal. The Spanish press ripped apart the German's second-choice goalkeeper.
Despite not changing the goalkeeper rankings, Nagelsmann has found a way to respond. For the European Championship at home, they won't bring the usual three keepers, but four. The reason? To manage the load. Said Nagelsmann at the squad announcement, "Anyone who's ever been in goal when suddenly 20 players shoot 400 shots is quite stressful." "And we have a very tight schedule of games. Therefore, it's good to distribute the load. That's why we're going with four goalkeepers." He could also be preparing for potential injuries.
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Despite the challenges faced by Manuel Neuer and Marc-André ter Stegen, both goalkeepers are crucial to Germany's national soccer team for the European Football Championship 2024. Neuer, despite experiencing setbacks during his recovery, is set to start against Ukraine on Monday, with Nagelsmann claiming his legacy warrants this choice. Ter Stegen, on the other hand, has had a tough year at Barcelona, battling back problems and making a costly error. However, Nagelsmann has included four goalkeepers in the team's roster, citing the need to manage the load and prepare for potential injuries. Manager Julian Nagelsmann is confident that both Neuer and Ter Stegen can contribute significantly to Germany's success in the tournament.
