It’s two days after the Sweden thriller and only two days before the final group game against South Korea on Wednesday (16:00 CEST). After their day off on Sunday, the World Champions are back in training. Assistant coach Marcus Sorg talked about the upcoming match against the Koreans and the condition of the German squad during a press conference. DFB.de was there with pen in hand. Marcus Sorg on...
... the current situation: The fact is, the lads who have played need to regenerate and settle down. That was the aim yesterday. We need the players to be psychologically as well as physically fresh. Sebastian Rudy was operated on yesterday and is getting a check-up today. Then we’ll assess his situation. We need to be prepared for the possibility that he won’t be able to play. Mats Hummels is match-fit again and re-entered full training today. We can assume that he’ll be ready to play on Wednesday.
... tactical insight from the first two games: The most important thing is that we recognise what worked well for us. The belief in our strengths is important, whoever the opponent may be. If we do that, we will be a force to be reckoned with. There’s no secret formula for success, we have to throw ourselves into every game and so we need to depend upon a wider array of players. That, we have, so we’re very optimistic.
... The seeming lack of a first XI: The only problem with changing around the starting XI is that a degree of uncertainty might arise. But I don’t see that happening. During a tournament, it’s always better to use a variety of players.
... The decision to leave out Mesut Özil and Sami Khedira: For me, it’s not important why they were left out. The decision was made and every player must accept it. What’s important is how the decision is handled and both players did so with the utmost professionalism. They brought a lot of good humour and energy to the bench and their reaction in training was superb. We have always worked on having a diverse and deep squad. Each player is individually considered for every game. It’s not the end of the world if someone doesn’t play.
... Timo Werner: We are dependent upon quality and adaptability. Timo Werner plays on the wing for his club, too, and did so very well against Sweden. We need to be unpredictable.
... Leon Goretzka’s role: Over the course of the tournament, I’m sure that everyone will be called upon. He is very strong in training and will certainly get his chance. Essentially, die Mannschaft is the number one priority and we can’t always focus on individuals.
... The importance of mileage: It’s important to work hard. But if you do certain things rights, you don’t have to run so much. Therefore I wouldn’t judge a player on his mileage alone. Teams have had to work harder in the tournament thus far, so late goals are often decisive.