Lars Stindl is a late bloomer. The Mönchengladbach man made his debut with Die Mannschaft at 28 years of age after an impressive season with Borussia. The 3-2 win over Australia in the Confederation Cup in Russia saw the forward score his first goal wearing the shirt of the World Champions. Prior to the duel against South American champions Chile on Thursday, Lars Stindl describes the amazing feeling of scoring his first goal for Germany, the task ahead in Russia, and his how he’s got on in his first weeks with Die Mannschaft.
DFB.de: Mr Stindl, not only did you lead the victory against Australia, but you also scored your first goal for Germany. How many times have you been congratulated on the achievement?
Lars Stindl: A sufficient amount (laughs). Of course many of my friends and relatives watched the game and got in contact with me. Regardless of the big fanfare, I’m really happy to have scored my first international goal. It’s something rather special – and to score the first goal at a tournament like the Confed Cup to give us an early lead – it was also important for the team, that’s what makes it the perfect package.
DFB.de: What went through your mind immediately after scoring the goal?
Stindl: First of all I wanted to commend Julian Brandt for the great assist. It wasn’t just an amazing moment in the game, but my entire career.
DFB.de: Did you know that you etched your name into the DFB history books with your goal against Australia?
Stindl: (laughs) Yes, I know – the goal beat Michael Preetz’s for Germany's fastest goal in the Confederation Cup. It’s a nice thing to be able to say I’ve done. However, I would have been just as happy scoring later on in the game. What’s important is that we got that goal.
DFB.de: How will you remember the game against Australia?
Stindl: Predominantly positively. We played really well for an hour, playing versatile in attack and creating several chances. We were in a good position and were in control of the game. However, we have to be admit that we didn’t take our chances as well as we should have and we faded out a bit in the game’s final half-hour. We’ve spoken about that and analysed the situation – now we want to make amends by showing an improvement against Chile.
DFB.de: You’re talking about your next opponents. Chile are the oldest team at the tournament with an average age of 29 years and one month, whilst Die Mannschaft are the youngest with an average age of 24 years and four months. Will that factor in on Thursday?
Stindl: It’s a fact, but it won’t play a big role. We’ve got a young team but we’ve prepared intensively for the match and want to do well. Chile perhaps have a player or two amongst their ranks who have a lot of experience playing in tournaments, however I see us well-equipped to deal with them. We’re eager to play against such a strong team in a tournament and potentially beat them.
DFB.de: You’ve been with the team a good two weeks now, playing three games and scoring once – a fantastic start.
Stindl: Absolutely. Everything that I’ve been involved in after the end of the season is a bonus for me. I was really happy to have been called up, and now I’ve received my playing time and scored too. I’m so happy with how things are going at the moment, but all that matters now is the next game. We want to work hard and have a successful outing in order to potentially do something special here in Russia.
DFB.de: How have you found your first weeks with Die Mannschaft?
Stindl: Us newcomers have been well received by those who have been playing for Germany for a long time, as well as by the team behind the team. I feel very comfortable here with the national team and am looking forward to spending as long as possible with everyone here in Russia.
DFB.de: The Confed Cup schedule is unforgiving. You have a recovery session, a final training session, and another game straight away. How do you deal with that?
Stindl: It’s not a problem. Most are comfortable with the training schedules of their clubs, and it’s not something new for me either. In addition, everything is planned very well. We have the best service available to us, are able to recover effectively, and are in a good way to prepare for the next game.
created by af
Lars Stindl is a late bloomer. The Mönchengladbach man made his debut with Die Mannschaft at 28 years of age after an impressive season with Borussia. The 3-2 win over Australia in the Confederation Cup in Russia saw the forward score his first goal wearing the shirt of the World Champions. Prior to the duel against South American champions Chile on Thursday, Lars Stindl describes the amazing feeling of scoring his first goal for Germany, the task ahead in Russia, and his how he’s got on in his first weeks with Die Mannschaft.
DFB.de: Mr Stindl, not only did you lead the victory against Australia, but you also scored your first goal for Germany. How many times have you been congratulated on the achievement?
Lars Stindl: A sufficient amount (laughs). Of course many of my friends and relatives watched the game and got in contact with me. Regardless of the big fanfare, I’m really happy to have scored my first international goal. It’s something rather special – and to score the first goal at a tournament like the Confed Cup to give us an early lead – it was also important for the team, that’s what makes it the perfect package.
DFB.de: What went through your mind immediately after scoring the goal?
Stindl: First of all I wanted to commend Julian Brandt for the great assist. It wasn’t just an amazing moment in the game, but my entire career.
DFB.de: Did you know that you etched your name into the DFB history books with your goal against Australia?
Stindl: (laughs) Yes, I know – the goal beat Michael Preetz’s for Germany's fastest goal in the Confederation Cup. It’s a nice thing to be able to say I’ve done. However, I would have been just as happy scoring later on in the game. What’s important is that we got that goal.
DFB.de: How will you remember the game against Australia?
Stindl: Predominantly positively. We played really well for an hour, playing versatile in attack and creating several chances. We were in a good position and were in control of the game. However, we have to be admit that we didn’t take our chances as well as we should have and we faded out a bit in the game’s final half-hour. We’ve spoken about that and analysed the situation – now we want to make amends by showing an improvement against Chile.
DFB.de: You’re talking about your next opponents. Chile are the oldest team at the tournament with an average age of 29 years and one month, whilst Die Mannschaft are the youngest with an average age of 24 years and four months. Will that factor in on Thursday?
Stindl: It’s a fact, but it won’t play a big role. We’ve got a young team but we’ve prepared intensively for the match and want to do well. Chile perhaps have a player or two amongst their ranks who have a lot of experience playing in tournaments, however I see us well-equipped to deal with them. We’re eager to play against such a strong team in a tournament and potentially beat them.
DFB.de: You’ve been with the team a good two weeks now, playing three games and scoring once – a fantastic start.
Stindl: Absolutely. Everything that I’ve been involved in after the end of the season is a bonus for me. I was really happy to have been called up, and now I’ve received my playing time and scored too. I’m so happy with how things are going at the moment, but all that matters now is the next game. We want to work hard and have a successful outing in order to potentially do something special here in Russia.
DFB.de: How have you found your first weeks with Die Mannschaft?
Stindl: Us newcomers have been well received by those who have been playing for Germany for a long time, as well as by the team behind the team. I feel very comfortable here with the national team and am looking forward to spending as long as possible with everyone here in Russia.
DFB.de: The Confed Cup schedule is unforgiving. You have a recovery session, a final training session, and another game straight away. How do you deal with that?
Stindl: It’s not a problem. Most are comfortable with the training schedules of their clubs, and it’s not something new for me either. In addition, everything is planned very well. We have the best service available to us, are able to recover effectively, and are in a good way to prepare for the next game.
