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The trip to Asia behind him, which included an impressive 7-2 win over the United Arabic Emirates, Germany’s coach Joachim Löw reflects on new insights and upcoming challenges.
Question: Joachim Löw, how satisfied are you with this trip halfway around the world?
Joachim Löw: It was worth the time and effort. Having all the players assembled is always beneficial, we were able to have some important talks and introduce some debutants. As we had to cope without some of our veterans, other players such as (Phillip) Lahm, (Thomas) Hitzlsperger and (Bastian) Schweinsteiger carried the load. They had more responsibilities to shoulder. Obviously, there were diplomatic reasons for the trip as well, but we also grew as a team these last few days.
Question: Please elaborate.
Löw: (Manuel) Neuer did well guarding our goal, as a matter of fact he was outstanding. Secondly, (Mario) Gomez ended his dryspell. I’m elated about both performances. The opponent showed some limitations. But everybody gained valuable experiences, and I think the team enjoyed the trip as well.
Question: What’s your assessment of the game in Dubai?
Löw: The heat, and the humidity certainly were a factor, but despite these conditions, we played aggressively and attacked their goal. We were much quicker than in our game in Shanghai.
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Question: The UAE are ranked 120th in the world, yet they had some realistic scoring opportunities. What’s your explanation?
Löw: Neglect of basics. Our midfielders did not attack the man with the ball, especially in the first half. Instead they dropped back. We had huge holes in our defensive allignments.
Question: Manuel Neuer had some great saves. How do you assess his debut?
Löw: He saved some difficult shots and solved some critical 1-1 situations. He was cool, calm and collected, even before kickoff. I detected no trace of nerviness or uptightness with him.
Question: Mario Gomez deserves praise as well.
Löw: I’m just happy that he managed to break the spell. He was deadly following his first goal. It really looked like something had fallen off him, like a liberation. They don’t need to count the minutes any longer.
Question: The World-Cup-season is upon us. What are your expectations?
Löw: There’s a lot to do. We’ll sit together in June and July to lay some groundwork. We will reduce the roster. The players can expect clear-cut guidelines.
created by th
[bild1]
The trip to Asia behind him, which included an impressive 7-2 win over the United Arabic Emirates, Germany’s coach Joachim Löw reflects on new insights and upcoming challenges.
Question: Joachim Löw, how satisfied are you with this trip halfway around the world?
Joachim Löw: It was worth the time and effort. Having all the players assembled is always beneficial, we were able to have some important talks and introduce some debutants. As we had to cope without some of our veterans, other players such as (Phillip) Lahm, (Thomas) Hitzlsperger and (Bastian) Schweinsteiger carried the load. They had more responsibilities to shoulder. Obviously, there were diplomatic reasons for the trip as well, but we also grew as a team these last few days.
Question: Please elaborate.
Löw: (Manuel) Neuer did well guarding our goal, as a matter of fact he was outstanding. Secondly, (Mario) Gomez ended his dryspell. I’m elated about both performances. The opponent showed some limitations. But everybody gained valuable experiences, and I think the team enjoyed the trip as well.
Question: What’s your assessment of the game in Dubai?
Löw: The heat, and the humidity certainly were a factor, but despite these conditions, we played aggressively and attacked their goal. We were much quicker than in our game in Shanghai.
[bild2]
Question: The UAE are ranked 120th in the world, yet they had some realistic scoring opportunities. What’s your explanation?
Löw: Neglect of basics. Our midfielders did not attack the man with the ball, especially in the first half. Instead they dropped back. We had huge holes in our defensive allignments.
Question: Manuel Neuer had some great saves. How do you assess his debut?
Löw: He saved some difficult shots and solved some critical 1-1 situations. He was cool, calm and collected, even before kickoff. I detected no trace of nerviness or uptightness with him.
Question: Mario Gomez deserves praise as well.
Löw: I’m just happy that he managed to break the spell. He was deadly following his first goal. It really looked like something had fallen off him, like a liberation. They don’t need to count the minutes any longer.
Question: The World-Cup-season is upon us. What are your expectations?
Löw: There’s a lot to do. We’ll sit together in June and July to lay some groundwork. We will reduce the roster. The players can expect clear-cut guidelines.
