National Soccer Team Illuminates Nation, Yet Leaves Issues Untouched
The second group match of the German national soccer team sparks numerous conversations. The 2:0 victory fuels enthusiasm for the DFB team while Hungary faces negative criticism. The only consensus is that we've become a tad more resilient once again.
Before the game, Julian Nagelsmann was intrigued. Following the 2:0 victory over Hungary, the national coach discussed the exceptional moments the DFB team created before the second home European championship game. In the early midweek, a DFB fan march passed by the team hotel in Stuttgart. Compared to the wild Dutch celebration at the weekend, it was more subdued, but there were around 4500 participants. They marched wearing white fisherman hats and waving Germany flags to the stadium.
On the podium, Nagelsmann described the ambiance as electrifying. The mere sight of this inspired something in the German national team. "One always thinks it's impossible, we have incredibly experienced and victorious players, and yet it still has an impact," Nagelsmann elaborated.
Indeed, it did. Captain Ilkay Gündogan walked silently with a smile towards the team bus, while Nico Schlotterbeck dished out laughing backslaps to his teammates who were conducting interviews. Toni Kroos surprisingly opted for over-the-top words a short time after the final whistle. After years without euphoria (World Cup disaster in Russia and Qatar, elimination in the quarterfinals at the 2021 European Championship), it's refreshing to witness "that the national team still has the power to excite the nation," Kroos told ARD.
Kroos' sentiment was evident in the Stuttgart stadium. "Major Tom" was sung with great volume and intensity. This song will likely accompany us throughout the summer. Kroos himself became a "football deity" among the team, as one only witnesses in Bundesliga stadiums. The audience cheered every move during the game. When DFB star Jonathan Tah faced a Hungarian attack, there were shouts and cheers. The Stuttgart crowd celebrated the substituted VfB star Deniz Undav as heroes. Remarkably, even in the difficult phases of the game, there were cheers for the DFB team.
From Gigi D'Agostino to "Oh, how wonderful that is"
The Hungarian fans, however, added to the boisterous and tense atmosphere. Some in the crowd used the long journey as a provocation. Even before the game, they sang Gigi d'Agostino's "L'Amour Toujours" and displayed a banner that read "Free Gigi." Support and applause online primarily came from far-right extremists and their sympathizers, as the 90s party song resurfaced and was sung with hateful lyrics at Sylt and other places in Germany. Despite this, the banner and the song were displayed primarily in the direction of the "Wir fahren nach Berlin" song and the La-Ola waves, but it largely remained under control.
The incident demonstrates that football fails to overcome all obstacles. This was already the case between Germany and the Hungarian team, as conflicts had arisen before. At the 2021 European Championship, there was a scandal. At that time, it was about whether the Munich Arena, where the group match took place, should shine in rainbow colors. The city intended to make a statement against a Hungarian law that limited the information rights of adolescents regarding homosexuality and transsexuality. The arena remained monochrome, but Leon Goretzka, who was not even nominated, formed a heart with his hands and dedicated it to the Hungarian fans.
On the field, this had no effect on the outcome: The German team's victory over Hungary was not a wild celebration (like the Scotland game), but rather a collection of several small pieces that were laboriously and later convincingly put together. There was the shaky German opening phase, which was widely criticized after the game. Nagelsmann acknowledged that this could have gone wrong for the German team half a year ago. There were moments that had to be overcome, he pointed out. Kroos also admitted in ARD: In the knockout round, not every game would be won, and there would be setbacks. It was good to have doubts erased early.
Newer, Gündoğan, Mittelstadt, Müller?
Manuel Neuer quelled the criticism with his final save against Greece, as he deflected Christos Tzolis' shot that led to the 0:1 lead. In the first minutes, he parried a dangerous Hungarian attack, and later saved impressively from Dominik Szoboszlai's free kick. Nagelsmann was subsequently delighted, as the German stars themselves praised his save. The clean sheet stood for the German team, but Neuer's haircut no longer did. The 38-year-old boasted (considering the circumstances) in the bright light of the stadium cellar later, that the shot had a very high speed.
Captain Gündogan delivered another world-class performance, making his teammates better. This time, there were no Scottish defenders who could obstruct his goal-scoring attempts. Consequently, he scored the match-winning goal. Nagelsmann thus reminded everyone: "We have to trust him a little more in this country." The German captain is an incredibly intelligent player and has achieved success with Manchester City and FC Barcelona for a reason.
This narrative could go on and on. Back-up player Max Mittelstadt added another thrilling chapter to his remarkable football season with the assist on the 2nd goal. Who would have guessed he'd be a consistent starter for the home European Championship, just a year after Hertha BSC's relegation? He even had his moment to shine, waving to the Stuttgart crowd and receiving cheers in return.
The dynamic duo "Wusiala" lived up to their promise from the initial match. One of them, Florian Wirtz, tirelessly chased the Hungarian counter-attacks over numerous meters. The other, Jamal Musiala, scored for the second time as the first player in the tournament for Germany (Germany started their second match day). Later, he might've pondered if he now wanted to be the tournament's top scorer.
These pieces of the puzzle sketch a picture of a greatly improved German team. Nagelsmann's squad left some fans belting out that they were unbeatable. They ensure that a car adorned with German flags driving through the streets of Stuttgart is a telling sign of the night ahead. A circle of DFB excitement is created: the fans cheer, the national team delivers.
However, there's still an issue that runs deep and stems from the team's past games. The German team entered the tournament as a big mystery and continues to be so, in spite of two convincing wins. No one knows how significant the first two matches were. Were Scotland and Hungary really that weak, or was Germany truly that strong? So far, the defense hasn't been tested severely in less than 180 EM minutes. Head coach Nagelsmann affirmed during his press conference's closing remarks that Germany would win all the possible matches. Their performance against Hungary reinforced the solid foundation set against Scotland.
