Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller confident Germany can recover
Thomas Muller, a star for Bayern Munich and Germany for nearly a decade, is confident his national side can recover and advance further into the World Cup.
Thomas Muller and the rest of the German national team were left shell-shocked this past Sunday by Mexico’s blitkrieg victory in Luzhniki Stadium. El Tri overcame Die Mannschaft 1-0, but in truth the Mexicans were by far the better side. Bayern Munich center-back pairing Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng were left completely exposed throughout and were fortunate to have only conceded the one goal.
The entire German squad has come under intense criticism since the disappointing loss. Manager Joachim Low is deservedly under the microscope as well, Juan Carlos Osorio markedly outwitting him.
There must be some severe changes — whether in tactics, mentality, personnel, or all of the above — before Saturday’s crucial match against Sweden. Several players could be cut from Germany’s starting XI, including Bavarian talisman Thomas Muller. The Raumdeuter was asked in a recent press conference about the possibility of being dropped from the German lineup (via ESPN).
"“Of course I would be [disappointed to be dropped for Saturday’s match], I’d expect every player to feel the same.”"
Since emerging the breakout star of the 2010 World Cup, Thomas Muller has been one of Germany’s most threatening attackers. But the Bavarian was nowhere to be found against Mexico. There was simply no space for him to investigate, thus his impact on the match was minimized to nought.
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But he wasn’t any worse than the rest of his German teammates. They were, as a unit, simply inadequate. Muller reassured the press, though, that Germany are not beating themselves up over the loss. Their focus is on the next match and how they can find success against the Swedes.
"“We won’t win the next two games by tearing ourselves apart.“You can believe me: No one wants be more successful than this squad and the coaching staff.”"
The Germans certainly made things difficult for themselves with their loss against Mexico, but their World Cup repeat hopes aren’t completely crushed. In fact, the failure could have come at just the right time for Joachim Low and Co, serving as a much needed wake up call. It simply depends on how they respond.
Next: Germany need Thomas Muller playing in the center of the pitch
All signs point to a positive recovery for Die Mannschaft. We’ll find out on Saturday, though, when they take on Sweden in hopes of not only three points but an imposing victory to stamp their authority in this tournament.