The German national team got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a winning start with a 3-0 victory over Norway. Head coach Joachim Löw speaks to DFB.de about the match, two-goal scorer Thomas Müller, Mario Götze and the challenges ahead.
DFB.de: Joachim Löw, what is your reaction to the 3-0 win in the opening World Cup qualifying game?
Joachim Löw: The team did its job very well – we looked comfortable and in control of the game, and we hardly allowed them to have any chances. We were disciplined in defence, even when Norway were playing some long balls. We made good use of the space available and got some good sights on goal at times. And we managed to score some goals! It was clear that the team wouldn’t keep playing at that tempo until the end, as we were leading 3-0 and the season is still young. But overall, we put in a serious performance, and the win was never in danger.
DFB.de: Was it one of the easiest international games in your time as coach?
Löw: No. We’re still at the start of the season and you can tell by looking at the players that their rhythm can’t be quite as high. But we put in a controlled performance and made the pitch wider and deeper, so Norway had to do a lot of running and got tired. We were always waiting for any gaps to appear, and we kept the tempo high. That’s what made it difficult for Norway to get any tackles in or to get to the ball.
DFB.de: The matchwinner was Thomas Müller, on the back of a European Championship where you said he wasn’t at his best. Do you think he was fatigued after too many games last season?
Löw: No, he didn’t give the impression that he was tired at the EUROs – he looked fresh, agile and was making a lot of runs, but he was unlucky as the ball just wasn’t falling for him. Of course that’s been eating away at him a little bit, because he did have some chances. So it’s really, really good for him that he got himself two goals to give himself a boost. It’s a World Cup campaign again now, and he always seems to score regularly there. I think it will make his life a bit easier now that he’s scored his first international goal in a long while.
DFB.de: You asked for a greater presence in the area – did you see what you wanted?
Löw: We had been working on it over the past few days, as well as in our assessment of the EUROs, where we had been missing some efficiency and ruthlessness in front of goal. The team had that tonight, and the players in midfield or in the spaces in between did it well. We were everywhere in midfield – there were always three or four players there looking to get a shot away. That’s important for the next two years.
DFB.de: Breaking forward from defence has been another issue. How happy were you with that?
Löw: We didn’t see much of that, because it wasn’t a very open game. But in other matches, we’ll be focusing on that issue, like against the Czech Republic, because they have a team with a lot of quality. They will surely want to play more football, and speed on the counter attack will be important again. The Czechs will be the toughest opposition to break down in this group, based just on the footballers and the experience they have.
DFB.de: What do you hope to see from Mario Götze in the next few weeks?
Löw: It’s plain to see that he’s not got the match practice behind him that he had during his first spell with Dortmund, or in certain phases in Munich. He needs to play a few more games. The move to Dortmund was a positive one for him, as a lot will be riding on him over the next few seasons. Once he’s played a few games, he’ll go back to being the Mario Götze that we know so well. I’ve seen some very, very good spells in training, and I can also see the smile back on his face and that he’s enjoying his football. Match practice will be really important for him to show what he can do again.
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The German national team got their World Cup qualifying campaign off to a winning start with a 3-0 victory over Norway. Head coach Joachim Löw speaks to DFB.de about the match, two-goal scorer Thomas Müller, Mario Götze and the challenges ahead.
DFB.de: Joachim Löw, what is your reaction to the 3-0 win in the opening World Cup qualifying game?
Joachim Löw: The team did its job very well – we looked comfortable and in control of the game, and we hardly allowed them to have any chances. We were disciplined in defence, even when Norway were playing some long balls. We made good use of the space available and got some good sights on goal at times. And we managed to score some goals! It was clear that the team wouldn’t keep playing at that tempo until the end, as we were leading 3-0 and the season is still young. But overall, we put in a serious performance, and the win was never in danger.
DFB.de: Was it one of the easiest international games in your time as coach?
Löw: No. We’re still at the start of the season and you can tell by looking at the players that their rhythm can’t be quite as high. But we put in a controlled performance and made the pitch wider and deeper, so Norway had to do a lot of running and got tired. We were always waiting for any gaps to appear, and we kept the tempo high. That’s what made it difficult for Norway to get any tackles in or to get to the ball.
DFB.de: The matchwinner was Thomas Müller, on the back of a European Championship where you said he wasn’t at his best. Do you think he was fatigued after too many games last season?
Löw: No, he didn’t give the impression that he was tired at the EUROs – he looked fresh, agile and was making a lot of runs, but he was unlucky as the ball just wasn’t falling for him. Of course that’s been eating away at him a little bit, because he did have some chances. So it’s really, really good for him that he got himself two goals to give himself a boost. It’s a World Cup campaign again now, and he always seems to score regularly there. I think it will make his life a bit easier now that he’s scored his first international goal in a long while.
DFB.de: You asked for a greater presence in the area – did you see what you wanted?
Löw: We had been working on it over the past few days, as well as in our assessment of the EUROs, where we had been missing some efficiency and ruthlessness in front of goal. The team had that tonight, and the players in midfield or in the spaces in between did it well. We were everywhere in midfield – there were always three or four players there looking to get a shot away. That’s important for the next two years.
DFB.de: Breaking forward from defence has been another issue. How happy were you with that?
Löw: We didn’t see much of that, because it wasn’t a very open game. But in other matches, we’ll be focusing on that issue, like against the Czech Republic, because they have a team with a lot of quality. They will surely want to play more football, and speed on the counter attack will be important again. The Czechs will be the toughest opposition to break down in this group, based just on the footballers and the experience they have.
DFB.de: What do you hope to see from Mario Götze in the next few weeks?
Löw: It’s plain to see that he’s not got the match practice behind him that he had during his first spell with Dortmund, or in certain phases in Munich. He needs to play a few more games. The move to Dortmund was a positive one for him, as a lot will be riding on him over the next few seasons. Once he’s played a few games, he’ll go back to being the Mario Götze that we know so well. I’ve seen some very, very good spells in training, and I can also see the smile back on his face and that he’s enjoying his football. Match practice will be really important for him to show what he can do again.
