It has been one year since that historic World Cup journey - seven games in the summer of 2014 that brought so much happiness. It began in Salvador with a dream, and ended in Rio with that dream becoming a reality. One year after the triumph at the Maracana, DFB.de takes a look back at Germany’s seven games at the 2014 World Cup. It was 365 days ago, on 26th June 2014, when Die Mannschaft played its third and final group game, winning 1-0 against the USA in Recife.
There is one thing that the Germany team learnt quite quickly as part of their 2014 World Cup experience: it rains in Brazil, and it rains hard. Literally every day at Campo Bahia, the serene sky would turn into torrential downpours. And they would end as quickly as they started. It was similar before the final group game against the USA in Recife, but one part of the routine was missing: the rain didn’t let up. The game against the USA was cast into doubt because of the sheer volume of precipitation. The sky over Brazil was persistently crying so much that you could assume the sky had seen into the future and already knew what would happen in the semi-final between Die Mannschaft and the Seleção in Belo Horizonte.
On the morning of the game against Jürgen Klinsmann’s side, there were many quizzical looks around the team hotel, with the rain making for a lively atmosphere. More rainfall was measured in two hours in Recife than the average amount for an entire year. The telephones didn’t stop ringing. Is the pitch playable? What are FIFA saying? How do we get to the stadium? When do we have to leave? What about the fans? Are the streets passable? Is Mike Horn around? Or at least the ferryman who had regularly carried the team down the João de Tiba?
When streets become rivers…
The streets mutated into rivers, the journey to the Arena Pernambuco turned into a boat trip. The route took the team along the Atlantic coast, but they could no longer tell where the ocean ended and Recife began. A signpost prohibiting bathing and warning of sea creatures gave a hint. It was a real adventure in Recife on that 26th June, and if some sharks had ignored the team bus’s right of way at the next junction, then that day would’ve been an adventure too far. Oliver Bierhoff wrote about the day in his World Cup blog: “in Recife we experienced for the first time how extreme Brazil can be. I don’t think that any of us have ever seen so much rain in such a short period of time.” These images will remain forever: a city underwater, Venice in Brazil.
Miraculously, both teams made it to the stadium on time, as well as all the spectators, even if this is frequently depicted differently. And the drainage on the pitch was amazing. The grass was wet, it was thick and it was hard, but it was playable. Germany’s third game took place under normal conditions.
And in an unfortunate historical comparison, the game in Recife saw an unwanted revival of the Ghost of Gijón, when Germany and Austria played out a scandalous match at the 1982 World Cup. That time, the situation was that a 1-0 win for Germany would see both Germany and Austria progress in the competition. And that’s how the game ended, with Germany winning 1-0, both teams progressing, and Algeria going home.
No revival of Gijón
32 years later, the situation before the Germany-USA game at the 2014 World Cup was similar. A draw would be enough for both teams to qualify for the round of 16, irrespective of the result in the group’s other game between Ghana and Portugal. Some people sensed there would be some foul play and Gijón was on everyone’s lips. And then Hansi Flick went too far. The assistant coach felt himself compelled to publicly stress the obviousness again. “Of course there will be no agreements of any kind,” he said. “Like hell will we play for a draw!”
Germany did not play for a draw in the rain of Recife – and the USA also had boundless chances. The USA’s coach Jürgen Klinsmann had spoken before the game about his team’s strengths. “We are getting stronger every year, and this is now our stage to show the world how good we’ve become,” he said. “We are no longer the underdogs that everyone sees us as.”
It has been one year since that historic World Cup journey - seven games in the summer of 2014 that brought so much happiness. It began in Salvador with a dream, and ended in Rio with that dream becoming a reality. One year after the triumph at the Maracana, DFB.de takes a look back at Germany’s seven games at the 2014 World Cup. It was 365 days ago, on 26th June 2014, when Die Mannschaft played its third and final group game, winning 1-0 against the USA in Recife.
There is one thing that the Germany team learnt quite quickly as part of their 2014 World Cup experience: it rains in Brazil, and it rains hard. Literally every day at Campo Bahia, the serene sky would turn into torrential downpours. And they would end as quickly as they started. It was similar before the final group game against the USA in Recife, but one part of the routine was missing: the rain didn’t let up. The game against the USA was cast into doubt because of the sheer volume of precipitation. The sky over Brazil was persistently crying so much that you could assume the sky had seen into the future and already knew what would happen in the semi-final between Die Mannschaft and the Seleção in Belo Horizonte.
On the morning of the game against Jürgen Klinsmann’s side, there were many quizzical looks around the team hotel, with the rain making for a lively atmosphere. More rainfall was measured in two hours in Recife than the average amount for an entire year. The telephones didn’t stop ringing. Is the pitch playable? What are FIFA saying? How do we get to the stadium? When do we have to leave? What about the fans? Are the streets passable? Is Mike Horn around? Or at least the ferryman who had regularly carried the team down the João de Tiba?
When streets become rivers…
The streets mutated into rivers, the journey to the Arena Pernambuco turned into a boat trip. The route took the team along the Atlantic coast, but they could no longer tell where the ocean ended and Recife began. A signpost prohibiting bathing and warning of sea creatures gave a hint. It was a real adventure in Recife on that 26th June, and if some sharks had ignored the team bus’s right of way at the next junction, then that day would’ve been an adventure too far. Oliver Bierhoff wrote about the day in his World Cup blog: “in Recife we experienced for the first time how extreme Brazil can be. I don’t think that any of us have ever seen so much rain in such a short period of time.” These images will remain forever: a city underwater, Venice in Brazil.
Miraculously, both teams made it to the stadium on time, as well as all the spectators, even if this is frequently depicted differently. And the drainage on the pitch was amazing. The grass was wet, it was thick and it was hard, but it was playable. Germany’s third game took place under normal conditions.
And in an unfortunate historical comparison, the game in Recife saw an unwanted revival of the Ghost of Gijón, when Germany and Austria played out a scandalous match at the 1982 World Cup. That time, the situation was that a 1-0 win for Germany would see both Germany and Austria progress in the competition. And that’s how the game ended, with Germany winning 1-0, both teams progressing, and Algeria going home.
No revival of Gijón
32 years later, the situation before the Germany-USA game at the 2014 World Cup was similar. A draw would be enough for both teams to qualify for the round of 16, irrespective of the result in the group’s other game between Ghana and Portugal. Some people sensed there would be some foul play and Gijón was on everyone’s lips. And then Hansi Flick went too far. The assistant coach felt himself compelled to publicly stress the obviousness again. “Of course there will be no agreements of any kind,” he said. “Like hell will we play for a draw!”
Germany did not play for a draw in the rain of Recife – and the USA also had boundless chances. The USA’s coach Jürgen Klinsmann had spoken before the game about his team’s strengths. “We are getting stronger every year, and this is now our stage to show the world how good we’ve become,” he said. “We are no longer the underdogs that everyone sees us as.”
Both teams wanted to avoid a draw, and one player did his best with his feet to dispel any rumours of an agreement. A player who admittedly did not learn his trade at TSV Regen (translated to TSV Rain in English) in Lower Bavaria, but at TSV Pähl in Upper Bavaria: Thomas Müller. His goal came with 55 minutes on the clock in Recife. A corner for Germany: Özil plays it short to Kroos who lays it up for Özil. The ball’s curled into the penalty area, and Mertesacker finds himself free to slam a header towards the goal. The big man’s shot is going straight into the corner, but not into the goal. Tim Howard is quickly down to clear the ball.
Müller weighs it up
That’s the build-up, now for the finale: Howard’s save rolls to the feet of Müller, and he weighs it up. The German strokes the ball into the right corner with the inside of his boot, passing by several legs and two hands. A goal like a work of art, astonishing even the artist himself. “Now I’ve actually scored a nice goal,” said Müller. And he added in Müller-esque fashion: “It just fell nicely at my feet. I concentrated hard on the far corner, and it worked.” And why did it work? “Because I do nothing more all day than train like a nutter.”
Müller’s goal was the only one of the game and Germany won. Three points, the game and the group in the bag. The team overcame preconception and the past to win. The Spanish newspaper AS wrote in reference to Gijón: “Müller purges Germany’s name after 32 years. His goal decided the game where Germany were the superior side.” El País wrote: “Germans do not pre-agree the result like 32 years ago but barely beat the USA. Luckily for football, the game between Germany and the USA was played out legitimately.”
Löw’s team won the match, but there were two winners out on the pitch in Recife. After the final whistle, all eyes turned to Brasilia. It soon became clear that Klinsmann and the USA could also celebrate. Portugal hadn’t left the Americans out in the rain as they beat Ghana 2-1. That left the final table looking like this: Germany were top with seven points and the USA finished second on four points because of their superior goal difference over Portugal. The result from Brasilia was conferred to a still rainy Recife. Portugal’s win in their final group game was only a consolation for their tournament exit, and in Recife the mood was by no means damp, despite the extremely damp conditions.
