Following the 3-1 win, Germany’s national coach Joachim Löw praised the effort of his team, but warns all players not to grow complacent because of the fifth win in a row.
Question: The game against a strong Romanian team was hard work, a match much different from the game against Wales. How do you rate the game?
Joachim Löw: We expected a strong opponent. Romania had not lost the last 14 games. They had passed Germany in UEFA’s 5-year-ranking. But after 90 minutes, we had earned the victory. We did well during the first half. Then we picked up the pace after the break. Once again, my players showed character, which I feel proud off.
Question: What can you criticize in the Romania game?
Löw: During the first half, players' movement was subpar. We were way too slow.
Question: What did you say in the halftime-locker?
Löw: Not much, just that they should find their game. We always believe that we will win the game, which is really on of the team's strengths.
Question: Did you substitute according to plan or did you react to the first half performance?
Löw: We had discussed our substitutions before the game. Metzelder and Hitzlsperger have to play Champions League next week, while I needed to take Jansen out of the game. It would have been his third game in sequence, following his injury. We always need to consider the concerns of our clubs.
Question: Lukas Podolski and Patrick Helmes manned the German attack. How did they handle the challenge?
Löw: You could see, that they needed a half to find their game. It was a long break for Lukas, so he needed to get back into the groove. Even from the bench, you could sense how hard he tried to score. That goal was quite a release for him. I always knew that you need to stick with a player of his calibre. Patrick had his moments later in the game.
Question: Your team has won five games in a row. Where do they belong in the ranking of the major teams?
Löw: We cannot grow complacent. We have not reached any major milestone yet. Developing five or six players each year has to be our mission statement, but we have to improve in many areas to accomplish this goal.
Question: What do you look for when evaluating a player?
Löw: Players that I choose for the Mannschaft have to be willing to learn. They have to have a hunger for knowledge and improvement, yet they should already be professionals. We believe that respect and good manners are important. Players have to be able to take an honest look at their own performance. We all need to cultivate our communicative skills. Right now, so many players are working hard at becoming a better football player. We really feed of that energy as a team.
More Information about the "Mannschaft can be found here.
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Following the 3-1 win, Germany’s national coach Joachim Löw praised the effort of his team, but warns all players not to grow complacent because of the fifth win in a row.
Question: The game against a strong Romanian team was hard work, a match much different from the game against Wales. How do you rate the game?
Joachim Löw: We expected a strong opponent. Romania had not lost the last 14 games. They had passed Germany in UEFA’s 5-year-ranking. But after 90 minutes, we had earned the victory. We did well during the first half. Then we picked up the pace after the break. Once again, my players showed character, which I feel proud off.
Question: What can you criticize in the Romania game?
Löw: During the first half, players' movement was subpar. We were way too slow.
Question: What did you say in the halftime-locker?
Löw: Not much, just that they should find their game. We always believe that we will win the game, which is really on of the team's strengths.
Question: Did you substitute according to plan or did you react to the first half performance?
Löw: We had discussed our substitutions before the game. Metzelder and Hitzlsperger have to play Champions League next week, while I needed to take Jansen out of the game. It would have been his third game in sequence, following his injury. We always need to consider the concerns of our clubs.
Question: Lukas Podolski and Patrick Helmes manned the German attack. How did they handle the challenge?
Löw: You could see, that they needed a half to find their game. It was a long break for Lukas, so he needed to get back into the groove. Even from the bench, you could sense how hard he tried to score. That goal was quite a release for him. I always knew that you need to stick with a player of his calibre. Patrick had his moments later in the game.
Question: Your team has won five games in a row. Where do they belong in the ranking of the major teams?
Löw: We cannot grow complacent. We have not reached any major milestone yet. Developing five or six players each year has to be our mission statement, but we have to improve in many areas to accomplish this goal.
Question: What do you look for when evaluating a player?
Löw: Players that I choose for the Mannschaft have to be willing to learn. They have to have a hunger for knowledge and improvement, yet they should already be professionals. We believe that respect and good manners are important. Players have to be able to take an honest look at their own performance. We all need to cultivate our communicative skills. Right now, so many players are working hard at becoming a better football player. We really feed of that energy as a team.
More Information about the "Mannschaft can be found here.
