Germany Fall To Japan And Face Second Historic World Cup Exit

Japan has come from behind to shock Germany at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Blue Samurais overturned a 1-0 Germany lead, Ilkay Gündogan (33’), to win 2-1 thanks to goals by Ritsu Doan (76’) and Takuma Asano. Germany has now won their second World Cup opener in a row and once again faces a historic group-stage exit.

Going out at the group stage would be another big blow for a country that, before 2018, never failed to reach at least the quarterfinals of every tournament they took part in. “I am a little bit in shock,” forward Thomas Müller said after the game.

Certainly, Germany controlled the game and, at one point, had 81% possession. The xG after the game also spoke a clear language, favoring Germany 3.27 vs 1.42. But Germany was unable to score the second goal after Gündogan converted a soft penalty in the first half.

“The goal-scoring chances that we missed, that’s clear,” goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said after the game when asked for the reason for the defeat. “We didn’t defend well at the back until the end. Japan put pressure on us in 1v1. We weren’t calm. We needed better positioning like we did in the first half.”

Neuer’s comments compound Germany’s two biggest problems. Other than Antonio Rüdiger, Germany lack an in-form defender. In the attack, Kai Havertz is just the latest forward playing for Chelsea, unable to fulfill his immense talent.

Germany’s biggest hope Jamal Musiala was at times the best player on the pitch and could have put the game away with a glorious moment in the second half in which he danced through Japan’s defense. Possibly the biggest talent on the planet, Musiala has to wait to announce himself on the world stage as he put the ball over the bar.

“I feel we played well over long stretches, but in football, you have to convert the superiority into goals,” Müller said. “The efficiency wasn’t there. It’s ridiculous to start with a defeat. But when you see the way we conceded goals, you can say it wasn’t an underserved loss.”

The defeat puts Germany in an impossible position. Die Nationalmannschaft now needs to beat Spain to keep the World Cup hopes alive. Spain, however, got their job done in an easy fashion against Costa Rica in their first game of the tournament.

In the form displayed against Japan, Germany will have no chance of beating Spain. So what then needs to be improved? “A lot; we’re under pressure now,” Neuer said. “For me this was the most important game, and we lost. We have to show a different face against Spain, the most difficult opponent. We have to give everything and bring all the potential we have onto the pitch.”

Despite the defeat, national team head coach Hansi Flick was adamant that Germany could still get out of the group. “We have to look ahead now, and that’s what we will do,” Flick said. “There are still six points to play for. We want to get them – and that’s what we’ll be working on.”

Ultimately, this defeat is another eye-opener for what used to be a once proud World Cup nation. Die Nationalmannschaft, despite its immense talent, is not competitive, the country has not produced a world-class striker since Miroslav Klose, and in defense, other than Rüdiger, there are no players available to move the needle.

Germany not being competitive is the conclusion that the DFB, the Bundesliga, and its clubs need to draw from this tournament. Even an unlikely win against Spain will not change that assessment.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth