Löw: “We totally dominated the match”

Their second win in the third match of the European Championship, unbeaten as group winners going into the round of 16 of EURO 2016 in France: after the 1-0 victory against Northern Ireland in their final group match, national coach Joachim Löw can be very pleased with his team’s performance. However, in an interview at DFB.de the World Cup winning manager criticises his side’s ability to make the most of their chances. Nevertheless, he does heap praise on Joshua Kimmich after his EURO debut.

Question: Joachim Löw, what is your assessment of the 1-0 victory against Northern Ireland?

Joachim Löw: We totally dominated the match. I was happy with the offensive action, our possession play and the increasing tempo. We were a lot better in the last third, with our runs forward, tempo and passing play. We penetrated their defence a lot more. However, I was disappointed that we did not make the most of our chances.

Question: Thomas Müller was especially wasteful. Is that a concern for you?

Löw: That is no concern for me. If he had not had any chances, then I would have to have a think about how to change things. But as long as a striker has chances, then it is a good sign. He was very close, and I think it will work out for him next time.

Question: Mario Gomez was given his first start of the tournament. He did well...

Löw: Mario scored the goal for us, and that was good. He showed his danger in front of goal in training. Because of this, we played him, to give ourselves a real number nine upfront. He was also good out wide, and constantly kept two opposition players busy. That was important in order to free up Thomas, and therefore helped Mesut Özil to have a good game.

Question: And Joshua Kimmich?

Löw: he did very well on the big stage. He made really good runs, was a good outlet on the right flank, and kept their defence very busy. I did not detect any nerves in him, he is very clever and self-confident, was strong in the tackle, and made a lot of movement going forward.

Question: No goals conceded in the group stage – how happy are you overall with defensive performance?

Löw: Northern Ireland never really had any chances on goal, and so it was not particularly difficult for our defence. It doesn’t bother us when the opposition keeps playing long balls. Our players are too clever for that. What was good was that we did not give away any silly fouls – that is also a good quality. We did not put a foot wrong in that regard.

Question: Why did you have to bring Jerome Boateng off?

Löw: Jerome was complaining about his calf at half time, which was cramping a little bit. It did not get any better in the second half, and it was too high a risk to take. If it had been a muscle pull or tear, then the tournament would be over for him. I believe we made the right decision in taking him off the pitch, because there is not too much damage, and it means that he will be able to play in the round of 16.

Question: You will probably be up against Slovakia next...

Löw: It is a bit early for me to be talking about potential opponents, because it is all very complicated. We lost against Slovakia 3-1 in our preparation for the tournament, so we know what to expect. Urs Siegenthaler has seen Albania play one or two times. I am just really looking forward to the knockout round – there is a lot at stake, and so the tension is high.

Question: Overall, what can you take from this match to the next?

Löw: I believe that we can carry this result over into the next match, because our next opponent will also play very defensively. Sometimes teams can play up to five or six players in their back line, so you have to really penetrate.