First competitive match of 2015, first win. The German national team did enough to deserve their win in yesterday’s Euro qualifier against Georgia in the Boris-Paitschadse-Stadion, Tbislsi. Now with ten points, Germany have closed the gap on table toppers Poland who have eleven points. In an interview with DFB.de, manager Joachim Löw talks about their third win in five games, goalscorer Marco Reus, captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and the long break until the USA game in June.
Question: Joachim Löw, how satisfied are you with the 2-0 win in Georgia?
Löw: We clearly dominated the game and had everything under control. I was very pleased with the first half, as we were very concentrated going forward, very dynamic and we put a lot of pressure on their goal. In the second half we took our foot off the gas a little and didn’t penetrate as much. We still had lots of possession and control of the ball, but we weren’t creating as many chances in the box. Despite that, our opponents had hardly any chances and we definitely deserved the win.
Question: Marco Reus scored again after his goal against Australia. What does he offer to the World Champions that was perhaps missing before?
Löw: I’m happy that Marco is back. He’s been very unlucky in recent months and it’s taken a lot of hard work and energy to come back. We can play in different ways with Marco and we’re also more dangerous in attack because he finds space, has very good ball control, runs with the ball and scores goals. He can play in multiple positions and with him we are more difficult to play against because we’re more unpredictable.
Question: What are your thoughts on the multiple streakers during the game?
Löw: It’s just a disturbance. It happens a lot but this was too much. It disturbs the players and can also be very dangerous. Nobody wants to see that.
Question: Now there’s yet another long break before the next game. How does that affect you?
First competitive match of 2015, first win. The German national team did enough to deserve their win in yesterday’s Euro qualifier against Georgia in the Boris-Paitschadse-Stadion, Tbislsi. Now with ten points, Germany have closed the gap on table toppers Poland who have eleven points. In an interview with DFB.de, manager Joachim Löw talks about their third win in five games, goalscorer Marco Reus, captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and the long break until the USA game in June.
Question: Joachim Löw, how satisfied are you with the 2-0 win in Georgia?
Löw: We clearly dominated the game and had everything under control. I was very pleased with the first half, as we were very concentrated going forward, very dynamic and we put a lot of pressure on their goal. In the second half we took our foot off the gas a little and didn’t penetrate as much. We still had lots of possession and control of the ball, but we weren’t creating as many chances in the box. Despite that, our opponents had hardly any chances and we definitely deserved the win.
Question: Marco Reus scored again after his goal against Australia. What does he offer to the World Champions that was perhaps missing before?
Löw: I’m happy that Marco is back. He’s been very unlucky in recent months and it’s taken a lot of hard work and energy to come back. We can play in different ways with Marco and we’re also more dangerous in attack because he finds space, has very good ball control, runs with the ball and scores goals. He can play in multiple positions and with him we are more difficult to play against because we’re more unpredictable.
Question: What are your thoughts on the multiple streakers during the game?
Löw: It’s just a disturbance. It happens a lot but this was too much. It disturbs the players and can also be very dangerous. Nobody wants to see that.
Question: Now there’s yet another long break before the next game. How does that affect you?
Löw: It’s not unusual for me. The end of season schedule isn’t ideal, as the players who were at the World Cup deserve a long holiday. I expect the players to concentrate on their club responsibilities now. Against USA we have another opportunity to try some new things. Against Gibraltar we will win and end the season. In the second half of the year we will be stronger; experience shows that we are better then because we have more time to train and play together.
Question: For Bastian Schweinsteiger it was his first game as official captain. How important is he for you?
Löw: It’s important that we have him on the pitch. He, Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira and Ilkay Gündogan can all control the middle of the pitch brilliantly because they control the ball rhythm so well. As captain he has a lot of influence on the team and we all know how well he played in the World Cup final.
Question: In the past few days you have talked a lot about flexibility…
Löw: I used the word flexibility to say – Okay, we need to develop further over the next two or three years. It’s good to try one or two things; new players, a new playing system etc. so that when the players have internalised it, they are able to adjust quickly and be flexible when required during a game or midway through a tournament in 2016 or 2018.
