Germany could match Brazil’s record of five World Cup titles at Qatar 2022. But Hansi Flick will have to banish the memories from Die Mannschaft’s dire title defence at Russia 2018.
Under their 2014 title-winning coach, Joachim Low, Germany travelled to Russia four years ago looking to become only the third nation to retain the crown. Only Italy in 1934 and ‘38 and Brazil in ‘58 and ‘62 have gone on to lift the FIFA title at successive tournaments so far.
France will now try to join the very exclusive group at the 22nd World Cup after lifting the 2018 title. It was Les Bleus’ second after triumphing on home soil in 1998. Only Brazil (‘58, ‘62, ‘70, ‘94, ‘02), Italy (‘34, ‘38, ‘82, ‘06) and Germany (‘54, ‘74, ‘90, ‘14) have lifted more.
Germany wrote the stories of the summer to win the World Cup at Brazil 2014
Mario Gotze scored in the 113th minute at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro to see Germany beat Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup final. The midfielder broke the deadlock to avoid penalties by taking in Andre Schurrle’s cross on his chest and volleying past Sergio Romero.
Germany had already produced one of the stories of the summer in 2014 after humiliating the host nation, Brazil. Die Mannschaft thrashed the Selecao 7-1 at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s squad were reeling after Neymar fractured a vertebra.
Thomas Muller (11’), Miroslav Klose (23’), Toni Kroos (24’, 26’) and Sami Khedira (29’) each scored to cap a sensational first 30 minutes. A brace from Schurrle (69’, 79’) then put extra distance between the two sides before Oscar scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute.
Low took Muller, Kroos and Khedira to Russia 2018 to defend Germany’s World Cup title. But after just three fixtures, Die Mannschaft headed back home having finished bottom of Group F. The second-most successful nation in World Cup history had lost in two matches.
Mexico stunned Germany in the opening game of their World Cup title defence
Mexico stunned the defending champions when Germany first stepped foot onto a pitch at the World Cup in Russia. Hirving Lozano scored the only goal of the meeting at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on 35 minutes. But the warning signs had arisen from the early stages.
El Tri continually threatened to punish Germany on the break as Low’s side set off without ever looking unbeatable. It ultimately fell to Lozano to take advantage of Die Mannschaft’s vulnerability when Javier Hernandez fed the winger, who cut inside to beat Manuel Neuer.
The left-flank was forever there for Mexico to attack as Joshua Kimmich pushed forward to help in Germany’s attacks. Yet his absence at the back exposed Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, who could not handle the pace of Hernandez, Lozano, Layun and Carlos Vela.
Kroos and Khedira would not offer Hummels and Boateng much support, either, as Mexico continually overran Germany’s engine room. Had El Tri been more composed in their end product, they would have entered half-time three goals in front but had to settle for one.
Further goals continued to allude Mexico after the break and Germany were able to stay in the game. But their own wayward shooting and ongoing difficulties controlling the pace of the tie saw Low get desperate and send more and more players upfront – including Neuer.
Defensive errors refused to go away as Low’s side went to Sochi to face Sweden
Fresh off of a confidence-denting defeat to Mexico, Germany headed to the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi to face Sweden. Low could not afford another defeat as Blagult had beat South Korea 1-0 in their opening tie. El Tri had also just beaten the Taegeuk Warriors 2-1.
A Germany loss in Sochi would have sent the 2014 champions home after just two games. Even just a point would have left Low facing a mountain to climb to get Die Mannschaft to the next round. But Kroos would emerge as Germany’s hero with the 95th-minute winner.
Ola Toivonen had broken the deadlock in Sochi to test German nerves in the 32nd minute. Viktor Claesson lifted a perfectly weighted pass over Kroos into the forward. He took one touch on his chest to get nearer the six-yard area before delivering a deft chip over Neuer.
Boateng had already gifted Sweden one chance Neuer did well to keep out. The centre-half clumsily turned over possession on the halfway line as the deepest Mannschaft player. It left Claesson to play an easy through ball to Toivonen, but Boateng applied enough pressure.
Kroos emerged as the 95th-minute hero as Germany only just beat Sweden
Low responded at the break and brought Mario Gomez on for Julian Draxler and the switch paid off within three minutes. The iconic German striker made a good run to the near post to meet Timo Werner’s cross, before inadvertently lifting the ball up so Reus could drill home.
The Sochi affair would be a day Boateng would want to forget, though. With the score 1-1 in the 82nd minute, referee Szymon Marciniak reached for a second yellow card and sent the defender off for a second foul in just 11 minutes. Yet there was enough time for a winner.
There was also enough time left for Sweden to slip up and give Germany a free-kick on the edge of the area. Kroos stood over the ball by the corner flag, tapped it a yard to Reus and unleashed a peach to find the far, top corner in the 95th minute and seal the three points.
South Korea stunned Germany with two stoppage-time goals in Kazan
Yet for all of Kroos’ heroics in Sochi, two late goals from South Korea pair Kim Young-Gwon and Son Heung-Min ended Germany’s World Cup in the group stage in 2018. The defender and forward hit home on 92 and 96 minutes respectively to avoid finishing last in Group F.
South Korea ended Germany’s World Cup title defence as the 2014 champions sought the goal that would have sent them into the last 16. A 1-0 win over the Taegeuk Warriors was enough for Die Mannschaft to pip Mexico with Sweden beating El Tri 3-0 in Yekaterinburg.
Low had made changes to his line-up to face South Korea with Mesut Ozil recalled in place of Muller. Yet the playmaker could not pull the strings and Die Mannschaft ultimately got desperate looking to score. Their desperation only heightened when Kim scored late on.
Germany almost got away with conceding when Kim fired in on 92 minutes. But the Video Assistant Referee intervened and ruled out the initial offside decision, deeming the ball to have hit Kroos on its path first. So, Low again urged Neuer higher and higher up the pitch.
Yet it was the goalkeeper’s mistake that gifted Son the chance to break German hearts in stoppage time. Neuer lost the ball inside South Korean territory to Ju Se-Jong, who fed Son on the break to score into an empty net. At 2-0 in the 96th minute, Low’s squad were out.
Low oversaw one of Germany’s World Cup highs in 2014 and worst lows in 2018
It was the first time since 1938 that Germany – as West Germany or as a unified country – had crashed out of any World Cup in the group stage. Low, then, had overseen one of his nation’s greatest highs on the global stage in 2014 as champions and worst lows in 2018.
The wastefulness of their forwards proved excruciatingly costly for Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Had Leon Goretzka, Werner or Hummels hit the mark against South Korea, their journey would have continued with a last 16 encounter with Brazil in Samara.
Instead, it was an embarrassing and ignominious early exit for Low and his men. Now, Flick will hope Germany have banished the memories from the 2018 World Cup in Russia ahead of travelling to Qatar for the 22nd edition of the quadrennial FIFA tournament this winter.
Flick took over the Mannschaft helm in 2021 after Low resigned following Germany’s Euro 2020 campaign. He had led his nation to the final of the European Champions in 2008 but lost to Spain. And Low packed his bags after a 2-0 defeat to England in the last 16 in 2021.
Germany will now head to Qatar to face Japan, Spain and Costa Rica in Group E. They will play on November 23, 27 and December 1 respectively eying a different slice of history by matching Brazil’s five titles. While Flick has lost just one of his 15 games in charge to date.
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