Germany embark on Euro 2016 challenge with opener against Scotland
DORTMUND, GERMANY -- Argentina drove home the need for Germany to move past its World Cup triumph with its 4-2 victory in Dusseldorf on Wednesday. Angel Di Maria summoned the sort of brilliance his country could have used at the Maracana and supplied a reminder that the landscape has changed somewhat since Mario Götze’s dramatic winner delivered a fourth title in July.
Götze remains in place for the start of Euro 2016 qualifying against Scotland here at Signal-Iduna Park on Sunday (2:00p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports Go, FOX Soccer 2Go, follow on Matchtrax), but many of the key fixtures from the triumph in Brazil will miss out entirely as a new era dawns.
Germany manager Joachim Löw must cope with the sort of absentee list capable of crippling lesser sides. Philipp Lahm, Miroslav Klose and Per Mertesacker retired after achieving the ultimate success. Julian Draxler, Mats Hummels, Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger dropped out on this matchday through injury.
The complications created by those missing stars are coupled with the natural concerns about complacency in a squad currently without a regular over the age of 29. Germany just won the World Cup. It is expected to coast through Group D with Georgia, Gibraltar, Poland and Republic of Ireland rounding out the competition for two direct spots and a playoff berth. The opening fixture against Scotland is a manageable one even with the distractions at hand, but there is a need for application to cope with the industrious visitors.
“It’s not going to be easy,” Germany forward Andre Schürrle said during a press conference on Saturday. “Everything has been great for us. We’re still kind of in that euphoria. But tomorrow, it’s back to business. We’ve got to run hard. We have to go into those one-on-ones. We have to give our best.”
Germany can probably settle for good enough without suffering any unexpected repercussions. Even with the questions at fullback (Dortmund duo Erik Durm and Kevin Großkreutz are the favorites with Benedikt Höwedes poised to partner Jérôme Boateng in the middle) and up front (Mario Gomez may retain his place despite a rusty and wasteful performance in midweek), this group possesses the might to end Scotland’s six-match unbeaten run and lay down a marker for its ambitions.
This evolving side expects to retain its perch for the foreseeable future with a youthful core already in place and a promising crop of players on the cusp of breaking through. There are no guarantees they will hit the expected heights, but their education in the footballing principles cultivated and installed over the past two World Cup cycles provides hope for a smooth transition.
“Our development has been great for the past seven to eight years,” Löw said. “From 2006 to 2014, we’ve always been a finalist or a semifinalist. We’ve really developed. We play differently than we did in 2004 or 2006. But, of course, after tournaments, you have new, younger players coming through. Right now, our team isn’t as experienced as it was at the World Cup. We have to work hard. We have to improve.”
This sort of fixture -- a home date with the improving, yet still limited, Scots -- provides the ideal opportunity for Germany to cast aside any lingering hangover from the summer and integrate new players into the team. The foundation provided by Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer remains firm. It is a matter of working within that structure -- particularly when Hummels returns to strengthen the defense -- to accelerate the adjustment period and broaden the options.
It is not a task without potential issues, but Löw said he remains steadfast in his desire to continue onward after the World Cup victory. There is no room for the status quo now if Germany plans to extend this title into an era of dominance. There are questions so vital Löw said he spent a portion of his holidays pondering them.
“We have got to develop,” Löw said. “If someone thinks you can maintain success without keeping up to date with everything, then you’re wrong. Everything develops. In football, other teams develop further. We have to keep up. The motivation for me is from the inside of me. If I thought I wouldn’t continue to have this motivation, then I’d quit this job.”
His players must maintain the same mentality to drive themselves forward in the coming years. The memories of that glorious day in Rio will linger for some time to come, but it is time to buckle down once more and start the process of working toward the next objective.
