Game in a sentence
Germany produces one of the greatest overall team performances the European Championships have ever seen to completely dominate the Dutch in every facet of the game.
Observations
- Forget how close this looks with the score. The Germans, against a good Netherlands team, were absolutely magnificent. Every one of them.
- Manuel Neuer, the goalkeeper, had little to do but still produced a fantastic save on 58 minutes, denying Robin Van Persie when the Dutch tried to get back in the game.
- Jerome Boateng was brilliant at right back once again and is becoming a master at switching the ball to the left flank with his great long passes. His fellow full back Philipp Lahm spent the entire game a step ahead of Arjen Robben on the left side. In fact, his ease on his right foot and ability to comfortably go inside against Robben, playing again as an inverted winger, once again raises doubts about Robben playing on the right.
- Mats Hummels has been the tournament’s best defender so far, dominant in the air, never out of position and always keen to move forward on the ball. His partner Holger Badstuber was as solid as ever and would have scored if it wasn’t for Maarten Stekelenburg’s save, one of many he made in Kharkiv.
- Sami Khedira played the best game I’ve seen his play. He has a wonderful understanding with Bastian Schweinstieger and covers ground with superb energy and desire. Schweinsteiger, who has struggled with fitness this season, looked back to his best with penetrating runs that the Dutch simply couldn’t cover and two great passes that led to the goals. Even when the game was 2-1 and legs started to get tired, Schweinsteiger kept running and stripped Dirk Kuyt in a key moment as the game ticked towards the 90th minute mark.
- Wide men Thomas Muller and Lukas Podolski finished the game quietly but showed Bert Van Marwijk why it’s still cool to have natural wide men in the position their feet favour. Muller on the right terrorized young Jetro Willems, always looking to get in behind him, something inverted wingers, preferring to cut in, do rarely.
- Striker Mario Gomez did what he does best, score. His goals were of course helped by the fantastic, controlled play by the system but that should take nothing away from a man too many people want to class as ‘simply a goalscorer’. If that’s his issue then the German frontman is guilty as charged. His two goals were brilliantly taken and proved to be the difference on the scoresheet and reflect the team’s dominance in other areas. His first, after he was found by the brilliant Schweinsteiger, saw him control the ball, spin and calmly finish past Stekeleburg. His second came after his superb movement from the righ, whicht left Johnny Heitinga ball watching, and again saw him finish after a ball by Schweinsteiger.
- Finally, we leave the the last player analysed for a reason. Mesut Ozil is 23 and you could make a legitimate case that he is the third best player in the world now. Ozil gave his opposite number Wesley Sneijder a masterclass in movement in that position. His lateral moves were marvellous, constantly confusing Holland’s defence as he linked up with his teammates. There is a reason he rarely finishes a game. It’s because he deserves to sit still during the 90 minutes because he never stops moving when he is on the pitch.
- The Dutch were outclassed, outworked and outcoached in all areas. Bert Van Marwijk picked the same front six as he did against Denmark and it didn’t work again. He admitted so, bringing on Rafael van der Vaart and Klaas Jan Huntelaar at half time, and they did improve with Sneijder moving to the left but all-in-all they were second best by a country mile.
- Disappointment will set in for the Dutch people, who know football more than most, despite a chance they can still qualify. They will know that they are a long, long way behind this German team. Van der Wiel and Willens were poor, their central defenders are average, Robben was lazy and made some horrendous decisions with the ball and Mark Van Bommel’s international career should be over. He’s done.
- Ask anyone who watched this match to pick a starting XI in a 4-2-3-1 from the starting 22 players and you’ll be pressed to pick any more than one player from the Netherlands. The only man from Germany who might not make the side scored two goals in this game.
- All-in-all this Germany team have it all. Except a major championship victory. In 18 days time that void could very well be filled.
Three Stars
- Mesut Ozil
- Bastian Schweinsteiger
- Mario Gomez
Six Super Stats
- No team has reached the knockout phase of a European Championship after losing two matches.
- Since the European Championship introduced a group phase in 1980, (West) Germany have won their opening two matches on two previous occasions. Both times they went on to win the tournament (1980, 1996).
- Mario Gomez became the 10th German player to score a brace in a European Championship match. He joined Vaclav Pilar (CZE) and Alan Dzagoev (RUS) in scoring in both of their country’s first two matches at Euro 2012.
- Gomez has scored in five of his last six starts for Germany, only failing to score in the 3-3 draw against the Ukraine last November.
- It is the first time in 17 years the Netherlands have lost successive international matches (Apr-Jun 1995, when they lost to Czech Republic and Belarus).
- This was the first time ever at a World Cup or European Championship that the Netherlands were two goals behind at half-time.
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Willems has looked out of place at this level.
Solid analysis as usual, KJ.
And really he should. He’s not good enough at that young age to be playing in a competition like this. It’s not like he’s Ronaldo ’04 or Messi ’06 or something. Combine that with the fact that the rest of the Dutch defence is poor and it’s just a disaster. He looks good going forward though.
What a game. Great analysis KJ. I remember you talking about him back in 09 when the score had the Euro U21 where Oezil starred. He has lived up to the billing, and you are right, he is probably the third best in the world. But if you were to ask me who I would rather have in my squad, Ronaldo or Oezil, I would take Mesut any day. His passing and movement can cut open any defense. I read a couple of interviews with Mesut, and he says that some take pride in scoring goals, all his pride comes from setting them up, and that’s what sets him apart. He doesnt need the headlines of scoring the goals, he much prefers to play the background scene. But what a talent!
Can’t wait for the Vod tonight. Hoping Honigstein is on it.
I thought that Podolski was sorta useless on Germany if I have to draw criticism anywhere. He’s a bit of a black hole when it comes to offense and almost nothing in their attack later on in the game went through the left side. Phillip Lahm was actually better offensively than Poldi.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Schrulle or Gotze draw in for Podolski who in the 2 games so far hasn’t shown much.
Germany’s fwds also sat back a bit too much later on for my liking. They became content with the lead after a while rather than going for the 3rd. This is fine for Schweini/Khedira but the attacking midfielders need to keep going for it. Muller/Bender did a really nice job on the right flank though late in the game where they must have killed at least 4 or 5 minutes.
Exactly, Podolski hasn’t shown a lot, and he’s not at the play making level of Mueller on the flank, so he is kinda useless out there. And with a striker like Gomez who needs the services, it’s better to have play making winger out there, so I am all for Gomez coming out for either Reus, Schuerrle, or Goetze. And when Podolski is on the left, Germany tends to play down the right, which means Lahm isnt being engaged in the attack. So poldi needs to come off.
Next game, I think we will see Reus, Goetze and Schuerrle start. Need to keep Oezil and Mueller fresh. Also Schweini should sit in favour of Kroos, and looks like Bender will be playing on the right as Boateng will be suspended for the third game.
I thought putting Afellay with Willems was a horrible decision by Van Marwijk. I don’t think I saw Afellay track back once, especially when he saw how Muller was abusing Willems. Whatever the case, the Netherlands desperately needs a new left-back. Heck in the next game maybe they should go three across the back and put in another central midfielder/striker since they need goals now even if they win and leave out Van de Wiel and Willems all together.
Well to be fair, Willems is going to be their left back of the future, he is only 18. I do think it was a coaching mistake by Van Marwijk, but it will pay dividends in the future. I think young players can succeed in attacking roles, but teenagers shouldn’t be playing defense in one of the biggest tournaments in the world, just too much pressure.
But at the end of the day their window is now. By the time Willems is a quality LB the likes of Mathijsen, Robben, Heitinga, Sneijder, Kuty, Van Bommel and possibly De Jong & RVP will be declining or washed up. This should have been their best tournament in years and it ended up as their worst. Not enough discipline or creativity on this team.
Germany will get destroyed by Spain.
No one outside Gomez is likely to score, maybe Ozil. They got SO BORING in the second half. ALL THEY DID WAS DEFEND AND THEY STILL GAVE UP AMAZING CHANCES. The dutch created WAY more goal scoring opportunities.
Germany’s overrated. Wait till they get man handled by Iniesta and Co. If they can’t create more than 2 chances against NETHERLAND’S DEFENCE with that much time and space on the ball, WHAT’RE THEY GONNA DO AGAINST SPAIN?!?!
Germans should’ve spanked Holland 5-0. But they’re incapable of doing so because they’re not good enough. They still somehow managed to concede a goal from a dutch offence composed of individuals.
LOL, at german players time wasting in the 83rd min. hahaha they were scared.
We will probably never find out at this tournament because I don’t think Spain will make the final :)
Did you watch Spains match, what is there to think they would roll GER?? They will beat IRE today, big deal, they didn’t look that GR8 vs Italy.
GER has shown some really nice ball, some boring laid back ball at times, but overall, good ball.
Remarkable stat, KJ, about the Dutch never being two behind at half-time before tonight. Truly shows the class of this German side.
Is there a more wasteful and overrated “Star Player” in world football right now than Arjen Robben?
cristiana ronalda. But perhaps not, robben has been pathetic.
arjen robben:
Punches team mates 50% of the time.
Can’t cross 85% of the time.
Wastes mouth watering goal scoring opportunities 90% of the time.
Doesn’t pass to his over lapping team mate 95% of the time.
Can’t beat a player 1 on 1 95% of the time.
Gets his shots blocked 98% of the time.
Does the same thing 100% of the time.
Is retarded 200% of the time.
When he does play fcking unreal, the teams are 100% garbage. Amen.
Another stat: the Netherlands had the longest wait for their first goal in this tournament. Portugal was the only other that failed to score in their opening game.
Which is very interesting when you consider the fact that the Netherlands have perhaps the best goalscoring forwards in Europe with +30 goals by Van Persie this season and Huntelaar who scored 48 goals with Schalke. Obvious exception is Germany with Gomez.
Wow. I’m gonna have to watch that game again, only saw parts of it and, alhough it can’t be denied the Germany was the better team, Netherlands didn’t look THAT bad, and Germany didn’t look THAT good. Netherlands did manage a very good share of possesion and attempts somehow.
Couldn’t be more pumped about GER futbol future, Euro and obviously Brazil 14 are extremely tough to win(cpt obvious) but I could see Die Mannschaft in the finals of both tourneys.