This was arguably the game of the World Cup so far. With a respectful nod to Argentina-Mexico, the reason we love soccer is contests like this.
The World Cup is not the World Cup without the best against the best. And Spain’s draw with Germany was their closest draw to a heavyweight classic. Both captains were former winners. In addition, there was a lot of experience in the Champions League. Finally, they played three of the best midfielders in world soccer of the next decade. Gavi and Pedri represented Spain against the German Jamal Musiala.
Furthermore, and more fundamentally, the stakes were high. Even after a favor from Costa Rica, Germany faced possible elimination. The emotional release when Germany equalized told a similar story to the face of Lionel Messi when he broke the tie against Mexico: we are who we think we are; we are still contenders.
Spain-Germany had world-class close control, first-touch passes and decisive tactical variation from both coaches. But, best of all, it had those Jürgen Klopp favorite ingredients. Tangible passion and mindset.
And this time Germany put on the show. To put it bluntly, as ex-Bayern player Sandro Wagner did when he co-commented live on German television, while Spain had more of the ball, Germany had balls.
The World Cup game
The additional rags-to-riches narrative of Niclas Füllkrug’s equalizer told more than his own story. The 29-year-old’s career has yo-yoed between Germany’s top two tiers and he still has 90 competitive international minutes left to play. But the Bremen man’s leveler hinted at various aspects of tournament play.
After all the proto-Tiki-Taka 2.0 from Spain, they replaced Morata, distributed the ball and the “traditional” number 9 beat Niklas Süle at the near post and cleverly finished off a cross from Jordi Alba.
At that point around the hour mark, Germany seemed shaky. Minutes before, Luis Enrique had blinked first when making the initial change and the tactical change (Morata for Torres). Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich drew yellow cards just moments apart, and then Enrique justified himself with Morata’s goal.
Germany had kind of gone all out from the start. Leaving “the system” aside to nullify Barcelona’s Spanish trio in midfield, Goretzka had played in place of Kai Havertz and Germany pressed high against arguably the best-ballplaying team in the tournament. In the first ten minutes, it looked like they could be torn apart. And what would Flick do if they left behind?
Big risks pay off
No winger started with a center forward. With Rodri at the center of defense and Asensio the “false 9” for all the action, Spain had players all over the pitch who could give and receive the ball under pressure. Relying on the inability of the German defenders to do the same, they pursued them fervently and were almost rewarded several times in the first half.
It was a wonderfully open game at 0-0. But there are different ways to win in soccer. Sometimes the ideal system and the best players are not the key differentials. Sometimes “wanting more” goes a long way. Germany had all the courage they needed against Spain.
The game was less refined in the second half. Both sides simplified their approach: the ball often went wide and the wingers ran behind the line or launched crosses into the air. Germany was fantastically physical at all times, forced errors and then came Füllkrug.
the past meets the future
We rewind twelve years and Sergio Busquets and Manuel Neuer met in a World Cup semifinal. Busquets was just 21 years old but already a Champions League winner. Neuer was still a Schalke player at age 24. They were the faces of the rising powers of world soccer.
In football terms, Busquets and Neuer have seen the rise and fall of dynasties. Pep Guardiola’s reconstruction of the game, from Barca’s La Masia graduates to his converted fullback Philip Lahm’s Bayern Munich, influenced the World Cup-winning Spanish and German teams of 2010 and 2014.
It was often said, even besides Guardiola, that Germany’s rise borrowed from the Spanish “model”. Between the two of them they won everything internationally between 2008 and 2014. But the best players get old and retire. And the rest of the world watched and learned too. After Spain crashed and burned in 2014 and 2018, Germany followed suit at Russia 2018 and the delayed Euro 2020. The “cycle” had to start all over again.
Germany and Spain mixed youth and experience this year and Spain has been more radical.
As Luis Enrique trusted the youngsters of Barcelona Pedri and Gavi, Thiago Alcántara, the best midfielder in the Premier League, did not even enter the call. Pedri only turned 20 two days after Spain defeated Costa Rica in their World Cup debut, but he’s already played. Such is the faith in the talent and process of the national system.
Germany, by contrast, has failed and erred. Joachim Löw tried to be radical, conspicuously excluding Mats Hummels, Thomas Müller and Jérôme Boateng before the football public was ready to accept it, and the results undermined him. The underlying concern has been that the talent simply isn’t there. This year’s team told a mixed story: a retirement for Mario Götze, hardly the future of German soccer; and warm receptions for Youssafa Moukoko and Jamal Musiala, who hopefully will be.
The sad truth was that Germany celebrated today’s point as a victory. They are not where they should be and could still come home to be ridiculed. We could still see a fairy tale too, but in the long run, Germany needs to keep learning from Spain.
drama is a winner
The best face of this World Cup has been its drama on the pitch. The game away from the field has been disappointing. But the actual football, the surprises, the tension, the Niclas Füllkrug of it all, it’s a beautiful sight.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Sven Simon
