phew The German national team completed their dress rehearsal for the World Cup in Oman and impressively demonstrated what a sporting protest against the controversial tournament in Qatar can look like. Although a test match should never be overinterpreted, this game against Oman was something of a bankruptcy declaration. Goals: 1-0 Füllkrug (80th)
What good is such a test match immediately before the World Cup? For playtime, definitely. The two debutants Youssoufa Moukoko (youngest debutant in 70 years) and Niclas Füllkrug (oldest debutant in 20 years) were allowed to get a taste of the national team. The long injured Lukas Klostermann, who had to be substituted after 30 minutes – what irony! – should gain match practice. This test match was certainly also a way of getting used to the heat in the Middle East. It remains to be seen what that will look like in the air-conditioned stadiums in Qatar. In Oman, however, the sweat flowed profusely and the German national team was aware that these temperatures are taking their toll. In addition, the test match in Oman should also be a stage for players who are not sure of their regular place for the finals and who now have the opportunity to compete to apply for one. And finally, such a test match is also a warm-up for the upcoming tournament. A gallop, a glow for what is after all the biggest sporting event in the world. It’s about showing that Germany is a force to be reckoned with. Now such a test match could have been held behind closed doors. Then any discussion about the performance would have been superfluous somewhere. But the dress rehearsal in Oman, against the 75th in the world rankings, became the stage for measuring the water level for the World Cup. And by God, it couldn’t have gone any worse.
This kick could hardly be surpassed in terms of lack of creativity. Hansi Flick’s team, of course not well-rehearsed in this constellation, actually gave an impression of what a sporting protest against the World Cup of shame in Qatar could look like. No player can be taken out here. The players used gave the impression that they didn’t want to get their hands dirty here in the heat of Oman. And so the German national team appeared on Wednesday evening: in first gear, reserved, disinterested. Visually, this game was reminiscent of a kick on Sunday afternoon in the district league, maybe after a beer or two. Technical mistakes, little wit and in between a tunnel or a half-chance: that’s how we know our football from the nation’s cinder pitches. And – it must be said so clearly – this clash between the German national team and the selection of Oman reminded us of that.
Now the argument can be made that no player wants to get injured so close to the tournament. Fair Enough! The DFB-Elf failed miserably on this point too, as Lukas Klostermann had to be replaced injured after just 30 minutes. “I don’t have a good feeling,” said RTL expert Steffen Freund at some point around the 80th minute and then pushed , almost in panic: “May I say it like that?” You can, Steffen. Because if this test can be understood as a foretaste of the World Cup – and as what else?! – then this analysis is even harmless. When it comes to Japan and Spain, Germany fans should be scared when they see this performance. Because the narrow 1-0 victory is ultimately a flattering one. Oman in particular played simply, directly and dangerously.
So what do you do with this sobering test match? If the German national team has actually decided to organize a sporting protest in Qatar, then I say: Eureka! Then this was a completely successful dress rehearsal. However, this cannot be assumed. And after this performance, it’s not about adjusting screws that have to be turned. If the German national team performs anything like today in Oman in a week’s time, then the tournament will be like in Russia: with a shameful elimination from the preliminary round. “The (Oman, note) is not a bad team,” Steffen Freund tried to smooth things over just before kick-off. And that probably says it all.
This article was originally published on 90min.de as Germany stumbles to a 1-0 draw with Oman: A touch of protest.
