It has been one year since that historic World Cup journey - seven games in the summer of 2014 that brought so much happiness. It began in Salvador with a dream, and ended in Rio with that dream becoming a reality. One year after the triumph at the Maracanã, DFB.de takes a look back at Germany’s seven games at the 2014 World Cup. It was 365 days ago, on 30th June 2014, when Die Mannschaft won 2-1 after extra-time against Algeria in the round of 16.
Sorry fans, but it can’t be the case that a player, who has statistics clearly below average, gets voted the best player. As with every game, the Man of the Match after the Algeria game in the round of 16 was chosen via the Fan Club Nationalmannschaft, powered by Coca Cola. The result was a landslide, with the winner taking 88.52 percent of the vote. But as was just mentioned, the winner was statistically the worst.
The team ran an average of 10.6 kilometres in the Algeria game, but the Man of the Match only covered a mere 5.5 kilometres. This image becomes even grimmer when you look at things in more detail: according to the statistics he was inactive for over 96 percent of the match. Technically speaking, no one else participated less in the game than the Man of the Match. In addition, he only sprinted six times, while the rest of the team did an average of 41. Those people who are angry at him could surely even accuse Manuel Neuer of laziness.
Sublime Neuer
Okay, enough tomfoolery. You can’t compare this player with the others, because he does not play outfield. He is of course goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. All praise for him is generally justified, and even more so after the game against Algeria. In 120 minutes, the goalkeeper redefined the role of a goalkeeper. Neuer’s performance in the round of 16 at the World Cup is evidence that a keeper doesn’t necessarily have to make big saves for a big performance, or that forays out of his box must necessarily give his manager a heart attack.
It also shows how much you can delude yourself, because; hand on heart, who would’ve thought that Neuer was more passive in the Algeria game than on average. He covered 5.5 kilometres – in 120 minutes. In the regular 90 minutes he did 3.8 kilometres. That borders on refusal to work, even in his case. As a demonstration of this, take the match against Austria in qualifying: he ran 5.4 kilometres in that match in September 2013 and said after the game, “that’s a normal amount for me; I frequently cover five kilometres per game.”
Spectacular rearguard action
Amazingly, in the game where Neuer became “sweeper-keeper Manu”, he covered less ground than normal. A quick glance at the world’s press shows how much the keeper dominated this game. The Algerian Compétition lamented: “Oh, if only Neuer hadn’t been there! We had Germany trembling.” Tuttosport from Italy believed: “Germany toil upfront! Löw’s troops suffer against a tough opponent. Keeper Neuer was amazing, saving the game on at least three occasions.” England’s Daily Mail wrote: “Beckenbauer, Matthäus and now Neuer! The powerful keeper continues the succession of German enforcers.” Put simply: sweeper-keeper Manu.
Neuer’s forays were less numerous, so they were more spectacular. This is how they happened in order: Germany’s number one left his box in the ninth minute to clear the ball ahead of Islam Slimani. Neuer forced the striker wide, sprinted alongside him and then proved his excellent timing with a clearing slide tackle. In great trouble, Neuer still deflected the ball away for corner. Neuer was in action as sweeper-keeper again in the 27th minute, but this time actually as a defensive midfielder. He slid in to tackle Sofiane Feghouli 30 yards from goal and cleared the ball.
Fast-forward in the match to the second half and to the 71st minute for Neuer’s next foray out of his box. This time the keeper cleared with his head, again against Slimani. Neuer stepped out of his box again in the 89th minute, once again playing the ball ahead of Feghouli. All of his forays were successful. All of his forays were necessary. Neuer didn’t throw himself into the game from a lack of action; he weighed up the opportunities and risks and in each case decided correctly: I have to go out, I have to do this.
It has been one year since that historic World Cup journey - seven games in the summer of 2014 that brought so much happiness. It began in Salvador with a dream, and ended in Rio with that dream becoming a reality. One year after the triumph at the Maracanã, DFB.de takes a look back at Germany’s seven games at the 2014 World Cup. It was 365 days ago, on 30th June 2014, when Die Mannschaft won 2-1 after extra-time against Algeria in the round of 16.
Sorry fans, but it can’t be the case that a player, who has statistics clearly below average, gets voted the best player. As with every game, the Man of the Match after the Algeria game in the round of 16 was chosen via the Fan Club Nationalmannschaft, powered by Coca Cola. The result was a landslide, with the winner taking 88.52 percent of the vote. But as was just mentioned, the winner was statistically the worst.
The team ran an average of 10.6 kilometres in the Algeria game, but the Man of the Match only covered a mere 5.5 kilometres. This image becomes even grimmer when you look at things in more detail: according to the statistics he was inactive for over 96 percent of the match. Technically speaking, no one else participated less in the game than the Man of the Match. In addition, he only sprinted six times, while the rest of the team did an average of 41. Those people who are angry at him could surely even accuse Manuel Neuer of laziness.
Sublime Neuer
Okay, enough tomfoolery. You can’t compare this player with the others, because he does not play outfield. He is of course goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. All praise for him is generally justified, and even more so after the game against Algeria. In 120 minutes, the goalkeeper redefined the role of a goalkeeper. Neuer’s performance in the round of 16 at the World Cup is evidence that a keeper doesn’t necessarily have to make big saves for a big performance, or that forays out of his box must necessarily give his manager a heart attack.
It also shows how much you can delude yourself, because; hand on heart, who would’ve thought that Neuer was more passive in the Algeria game than on average. He covered 5.5 kilometres – in 120 minutes. In the regular 90 minutes he did 3.8 kilometres. That borders on refusal to work, even in his case. As a demonstration of this, take the match against Austria in qualifying: he ran 5.4 kilometres in that match in September 2013 and said after the game, “that’s a normal amount for me; I frequently cover five kilometres per game.”
Spectacular rearguard action
Amazingly, in the game where Neuer became “sweeper-keeper Manu”, he covered less ground than normal. A quick glance at the world’s press shows how much the keeper dominated this game. The Algerian Compétition lamented: “Oh, if only Neuer hadn’t been there! We had Germany trembling.” Tuttosport from Italy believed: “Germany toil upfront! Löw’s troops suffer against a tough opponent. Keeper Neuer was amazing, saving the game on at least three occasions.” England’s Daily Mail wrote: “Beckenbauer, Matthäus and now Neuer! The powerful keeper continues the succession of German enforcers.” Put simply: sweeper-keeper Manu.
Neuer’s forays were less numerous, so they were more spectacular. This is how they happened in order: Germany’s number one left his box in the ninth minute to clear the ball ahead of Islam Slimani. Neuer forced the striker wide, sprinted alongside him and then proved his excellent timing with a clearing slide tackle. In great trouble, Neuer still deflected the ball away for corner. Neuer was in action as sweeper-keeper again in the 27th minute, but this time actually as a defensive midfielder. He slid in to tackle Sofiane Feghouli 30 yards from goal and cleared the ball.
Fast-forward in the match to the second half and to the 71st minute for Neuer’s next foray out of his box. This time the keeper cleared with his head, again against Slimani. Neuer stepped out of his box again in the 89th minute, once again playing the ball ahead of Feghouli. All of his forays were successful. All of his forays were necessary. Neuer didn’t throw himself into the game from a lack of action; he weighed up the opportunities and risks and in each case decided correctly: I have to go out, I have to do this.
Neuer, nevertheless, had to put up with criticism from his coach after the game. “First of all, I have to criticize, because again we have failed to keep a clean sheet,” said Andreas Köpke. That’s true, because Abdelmoumene Djabou made sure in injury time of extra time that Neuer had to pull the ball out of his net again, although after André Schürrle and Mesut Özil had both scored earlier in extra time. But Neuer was not at fault. And Köpke’s criticism was not meant seriously. “All jokes aside,” he continued, “quite honestly, it was very impressive, you have to say that. Simply because it was not a typical game for a keeper. Manuel had relatively few saves to make, but he was asked to do extra things that are expected from a goalkeeper: joining in the play, and anticipating. Goalkeepers have to be in the position to play like a sweeper, and Manuel did that amazingly.”
Qualities of an outfield player
Köpke isn’t troubled when his protégé leaves his penalty area, with his pulse hardly increasing. “I’m actually quite relaxed,” says Köpke, “you never feel that he could come too late. He has very good spatial awareness and can judge speed and distance very well. He gives off a feeling that he knows what he’s doing and never doubts his decisions. He actually almost always comes out in command of the situation.”
He also has amazing skills for a goalkeeper with the ball at his feet. He is just as skilful as his teammates with the ball. You can see that in almost every game and training session. When Joachim Löw begins training with a game of five-on-two, Neuer is chosen rather than avoided. His crosses with both feet to teammates Ron-Robert Zieler and Roman Weidenfeller arrive with precision. There is much evidence and many comments on Neuer’s footballing ability: “he could easily play as an outfielder in the third division,” says Andreas Köpke.
Not only defending, but also starting attacks
As shown in the game against Algeria, that is an understatement. Neuer didn’t just disrupt the Algerian attacks with his feet; he was constantly starting attacks for his own team. When he won the ball in the 35th minute with some rearguard action, he launched the ball over 50 yards with his weaker left foot and found Thomas Müller with precision. Or just after the break when he almost created an assist for André Schürrle. Neuer intercepted a corner and sent a long ball 70 yards over the top towards Schürrle.
Neuer himself was reluctant to talk after the game about his own performance. He politely took the compliments, but then quickly shifted the focus from himself onto the team. In his first statement after the final whistle, Neuer said, “when André came on, he gave us some pace. That gave us the momentum that we needed.”
Neuer’s endeavours were not in vain: not only was he voted the Man of the Match in the poll by the Fan Club Nationalmannschaft after the Algeria game, his many forays showed that the 2013 World Goalkeeper of the Year was also the best at the 2014 World Cup.
On the journey back from Porto Alegre to Porto Seguro, there was more praise. During his obligatory address over the plane’s intercom, DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach deviated from his custom of not referring to particular players. He ended his thank you to the team for reaching the quarterfinals with these words: “Manu, your performance today was simply world-class.”
