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With the 2-2 draw with Ghana behind him, defender Mats Hummels’ attention is now focused on Thursday’s final group match against the USA in Recife (live on ZDF from 18:00 CEST), and he is impressed with what he has seen from the Americans so far. DFB.de noted his thoughts on various topics.
MATS HUMMELS ON...
... performance in the wake of the Ghana match: We’re still reaching our best. Against Ghana we showed weaknesses that we need to fix. Personally I’m satisfied, but we’re only two matches into the tournament so I think we can generally improve.
... the USA’s playing style: It’s important we don’t become too passive against them as we must take full advantage of our possession. The USA really surprised me; I knew they had good players but I didn’t expect them to play so strongly, particularly against Portugal. That said, our Miami trip last year showed that they have what it takes.
... the possibility of playing for a draw against the USA: We don’t want to play for a draw, but if it’s 1-1 after 90 minutes then we naturally won’t be going in for any big tackles.
... his fitness: In World Cup terms, my injury has actually been helpful. It allowed me to be more relaxed going into the tournament, with about 20 fewer games in my legs than I would have had otherwise. I feel really good.
... feeling valued by the national side: I always got a good feeling from the national coach, particularly when I wasn’t playing, and that was a nice gesture.
... Philipp Lahm’s midfield position: We haven’t discussed the idea of a favoured position for Philipp within the camp. He does a great job in both positions, so for me it doesn’t matter too much whether he plays in defence or midfield.
... the summer of 2006: Like almost everybody else, I followed the 2006 World Cup as a football fan. It was an incredibly intense period of football; I couldn’t think about anything else. I’ve never met Jürgen Klinsmann but I’ve heard good things about him.
created by dfb
[bild1]
With the 2-2 draw with Ghana behind him, defender Mats Hummels’ attention is now focused on Thursday’s final group match against the USA in Recife (live on ZDF from 18:00 CEST), and he is impressed with what he has seen from the Americans so far. DFB.de noted his thoughts on various topics.
MATS HUMMELS ON...
... performance in the wake of the Ghana match: We’re still reaching our best. Against Ghana we showed weaknesses that we need to fix. Personally I’m satisfied, but we’re only two matches into the tournament so I think we can generally improve.
... the USA’s playing style: It’s important we don’t become too passive against them as we must take full advantage of our possession. The USA really surprised me; I knew they had good players but I didn’t expect them to play so strongly, particularly against Portugal. That said, our Miami trip last year showed that they have what it takes.
... the possibility of playing for a draw against the USA: We don’t want to play for a draw, but if it’s 1-1 after 90 minutes then we naturally won’t be going in for any big tackles.
... his fitness: In World Cup terms, my injury has actually been helpful. It allowed me to be more relaxed going into the tournament, with about 20 fewer games in my legs than I would have had otherwise. I feel really good.
... feeling valued by the national side: I always got a good feeling from the national coach, particularly when I wasn’t playing, and that was a nice gesture.
... Philipp Lahm’s midfield position: We haven’t discussed the idea of a favoured position for Philipp within the camp. He does a great job in both positions, so for me it doesn’t matter too much whether he plays in defence or midfield.
... the summer of 2006: Like almost everybody else, I followed the 2006 World Cup as a football fan. It was an incredibly intense period of football; I couldn’t think about anything else. I’ve never met Jürgen Klinsmann but I’ve heard good things about him.
