Second game, second encouragement, but still a lot of work: Thanks to goalkeeper Niclas Füllkrug, Julian Nagelsmann can fly home from America with a smile. The national soccer team with its new national coach failed to achieve another victory against Mexico. In the 2-2 (1-1) draw against the Gold Cup winners, the national soccer team demonstrated an upward trend in front of 62,284 spectators at the Financial Field in Philadelphia, just like in the 3-1 win against the USA. But Nagelsmann still has a lot to do to create a new summer fairy tale at the home European Championships in 2024.
The 36-year-old at least conveyed a tactical concept to the DFB selection on his debut trip overseas. Commitment and enthusiasm are back, even if there are still some gaps defensively. Füllkrug (51st minute) scored the final score at German night time on Wednesday with his ninth goal in the eleventh game for Germany. Antonio Rüdiger had put the DFB team in the lead (25th), Uriel Antuna (37th) and Erick Sanchez (47th) scored for the Mexicans.
“It was a very aggressive opponent, I think the result was okay in the end,” Nagelsmann told ARD. “He told us that he believes in this team,” captain Gündogan reported from Nagelsmann’s conclusion immediately after the final whistle.
The next test comes with the games against Turkey on November 18th and in Austria on November 21st – eleven days later the EM opponents will be drawn in Hamburg. “I think this course was good for the feeling for the whole team. We’ll take the next step in November,” announced Jamal Musiala.
Like against the USA: intensity and speed were right. Nagelsmann got the second serious test he was hoping for, far above the usual test match level. And the atmosphere was a foretaste of the 2026 World Cup, which still seemed distant. Tens of thousands of Mexican fans transformed the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFL stadium into a party zone – including fireworks on the lawn and in the stands before kickoff.
Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa prevented an early German explosion. He cleared the ball against Florian Wirtz (5th) with his foot defense. Like Jesus Gallardo and Hirving Lozano, Ochoa was one of the three Mexicans who were in the starting line-up for Germany’s humiliating 1-0 defeat at the start of the 2018 World Cup.
For the DFB team, this only applied to Thomas Müller, who played half of his 125th international match in place of Füllkrug up front. But the Munich player didn’t have the Dortmunder’s nose for goal in America. Nagelsmann’s second change to the starting eleven was a Dortmund castling. Niklas Süle for Mats Hummels, so the stress debate before BVB’s Bundesliga continuation against Werder Bremen was already satisfied on Friday. The Borussia quartet were able to travel home early by charter jet relatively stress-free.
Nagelsmann wanted to continue the pairing he started against the USA at headquarters. Automatisms instead of experiments. Pascal Groß and Ilkay Gündogan, before Musiala and Wirtz – this is the new centerpiece.
In the DFB defense, Gimenez repeatedly found gaps in the interfaces. Once he shot just wide (10th), and once Robin Gosens (27th) was lucky that his push was not punished with a penalty by the American referee Rubiel Vazquez.
Gosens was more effective offensively. Rüdiger also headed his header extension after a corner from Leroy Sané into the goal. Müller later celebrated the supposed 2-0, and acknowledged Vazquez’s offside decision with a raised index finger. Doubly bitter: In return, Süle was unable to block 2018 goalscorer Lozano, Antuna was on the ball before Rüdiger to equalize. “To concede the first goal in this way is of course bitter,” said Gündogan.
Mexico started the second half furiously. Gosens let Antuna cross, Sanchez jumped over Süle, who was a head taller. As against the USA, Germany was behind. But Füllkrug showed his effectiveness again and scored a quick equalizer. The Mexicans pushed for the winning goal, Germany tried to counter with the agile Leroy Sané, and there were no clear chances to score in a tactical and combative final phase.
Despite the result, Nagelsmann was subsequently enthusiastic about his players’ learning curve. “I’ve never coached a team that implemented so many things in a week. I was very enthusiastic. That’s why I’m absolutely not worried,” he said with a view to the 2024 European Championship. “I’m 100 percent convinced that we will be successful,” he said.
