Julian Nagelsmann has announced the squad for the national team’s trip to the USA. It is nothing less than the first sketch of the team that is supposed to succeed in the mission “Summer Fairy Tale 2.0”. “We are a new coaching team and want to see as many players as possible in the national team circle. Our goal is to get used to each other as quickly as possible in the short time we have and try to implement the content in the few training sessions,” said Nagelsmann in the DFB announcement about the player squad.
The DFB team will be tested against the USA in Hartford on October 14th and against Mexico on October 18th in Philadelphia. A total of 26 players then have the chance to convince Julian Nagelsmann that they can contribute to a successful home European Championship next year. With the exception of the injured Manuel Neuer and Serge Gnabry, the new national coach has nominated all national players from his former employer FC Bayern.
There was criticism from Borussia Dortmund in advance about the scheduling of the international trip, as the Dortmund players had little time to recover before their Friday evening game against Werder Bremen. Nagelsmann avoided this conflict – he left most of BVB’s players at home.
Overall, the new national coach prefers players who are currently in good shape. After all, his commitment is designed for short-term success. The winners and losers of the first Nagelsmann nomination at a glance:
He’s at it again. Mats Hummels was expelled from the national team in 2019, but fought his way back into the squad for the 2021 European Championship, only to then not be considered again under Hansi Flick. Now the 34-year-old is returning to the DFB circle. What Hummels now lacks in speed, he makes up for with positional play and precise build-up play. Hummels is currently the undisputed leader in BVB’s defense and could fill this role again in the national team’s shaky defense. Even if there is not enough for the starting eleven, the team benefits from Hummel’s charisma and experience – he is also a fan favorite.
The same applies to Bayern veteran Thomas Müller. He is also back, as he was under Hansi Flick. As one of the most successful German players in history, Müller can be a role model for the many young players in the DFB offensive. Müller’s performance in the Champions League game against Copenhagen in particular showed how he can turn a deadlocked game around with his unconventional style of play. That’s why Matthias Sammer then demanded: “You always have to let Müller play. He’s simply world class!”
A foreseeable winner of Nagelsmann’s signing is Leon Goretzka. The Munich player was no longer nominated by Hansi Flick for the last international matches. Goretzka was just fighting his way back into the starting eleven at FC Bayern. With the double six of Kimmich and Goretzka, Nagelsmann was able to celebrate success with the record champions without, like Thomas Tuchel, calling for a “holding six” every week, i.e. a defensive clearer in midfield. It is still questionable whether Goretzka has enough for the starting eleven. After all, Nagelsmann and his old Bayern double six would receive skeptical looks from a sports policy perspective.
The first DFB debutants of the Nagelsmann era are Kevin Behrens and Chris Führich. Behrens particularly impressed with four goals on the first two Bundesliga matchdays. Recently, however, he has weakened just like the rest of Union Berlin, which is why the nomination is definitely a surprise. But it suggests that Nagelsmann wants a “real nine” in the center of the attack. Kevin Behrens could therefore be the first alternative if Niclas Füllkrug is unavailable.
Chris Führich also started the season strongly. With two goals and four assists, Führich played a key role in VfB Stuttgart’s soaring fortunes. The winger is particularly characterized by his strong dribbling and his speed. Leverkusen’s Robert Andrich is also surprisingly nominated for the national team for the first time.
A surprising non-nomination is that of Nico Schlotterbeck. Although he is currently placed ahead of Niklas Süle in central defense at Borussia Dortmund, he is now traveling with the DFB, while Schlotterbeck has to stay at home. Schlotterbeck’s good performances at the club do not seem to make up for his error-filled DFB career. His mistakes in the Japan game at the World Cup in Qatar subsequently cost Germany their place. And in the friendly match against Japan in September, Schlotterbeck didn’t see any progress in his unfamiliar left-back position. Nagelsmann can apparently do without his qualities in the build-up game.
Emre Can was considered a favorite of Joachim Löw and Hansi Flick. Julian Nagelsmann seems to have no use for the defensively strong six. In the midfield, the new national coach at FC Bayern relied on players who made more of a contribution to building up the game and played at a higher technical level. But Nagelsmann doesn’t want to travel without a defensive player in his luggage. Robert Andrich, who is not part of the first eleven at Bayer Leverkusen, was given preference over Can.
Karim Adeyemi completes the eliminated BVB trio. At Borussia Dortmund, the 21-year-old has been lagging behind his form for weeks. Discussions about a lack of seriousness in training may also have made the winger unattractive for Nagelsmann. Timo Werner and Matthias Ginter, two players who were previously almost always part of the staff under Flick and Löw, are also not nominated.
Sources: dpa
