Niclas Füllkrug Heroics Against Spain Keep Germany Alive At The World Cup

It almost felt like an act from god; Niclas Füllkrug, the striker who one year ago scored in Werder Bremen’s 2-1 defeat to Holstein Kiel, muscled off teammate Jamal Musiala to make it 1-1 against Spain (83’) at the FIFA World Cup. That goal ultimately, rescued Germany’s World Cup ambitions thanks to Costa Rica’s win over Japan earlier that same day.

Germany’s 1-1 draw against Spain also highlighted the importance of a no.9 at the international level. Spain head coach Luis Enrique brought on Alvaro Morata in the 54th minute, and the striker would give his side the lead just eight minutes later. German national team coach Hansi Flick then responded by bringing on Füllkrug in the 70th minute, and the rest is history.

“That’s why he’s on the pitch,” Flick said after the game when asked about bringing on Füllkrug in the second half. “He scored ten goals in the Bundesliga. The determination with which he finishes his chances was good and crucial for us today.”

Unlike the Japan match, where Flick might have gotten his substitutions wrong, the Bundestrainer made all the right conclusions against Spain. Füllkrug’s goal was the apparent difference, but forward Leroy Sané also came on in the 70th minute, providing Germany with a faster outlet up front.

Those two changes also helped Musiala, who was by some distance the best player on the field. The 19-year-old, in fact, carried Germany’s attack but did not have an outlet to play the ball toward; all that changed once Flick made his changes. But Musiala was not just strong in the attack but also held the ball well, providing a continuous headache to Spain’s midfield.

“We get on well together as a team, even though you read different things,” Flick said. “What the team did today was amazing. I’m really proud. We faced a team that is great in terms of football, and we played them on an equal footing. The mentality of the team was outstanding.”

That is perhaps the big takeaway from this game. When one ignores the Japan result, Germany can look at the game against Spain with some pride. They went toe-to-toe against one of the big boys in world football, and with a bit more luck, Sané score the winner in his final attack to give Germany all three points.

But even with that missed opportunity, Germany is still alive. Up next is Costa Rica, where Die Nationalmannschaft will need a big win to get out of this group and hope that Spain gets at least one point against Japan.

“We absolutely wanted to take something out of this game, the point is important for the feeling, but we wanted to win,” Füllkrug said after the game. “Now we can go with a good feeling into the last game and hope that things go in our favor.”

Perhaps the big question ahead of the Costa Rica game will be about Füllkrug. Werder’s no.9 has made a strong case for himself today. The 29-year-old rescued Germany and perhaps should be a permanent starter for this team going forward for the remainder of this tournament.

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