As expected, Manuel Neuer was his usual reliable self against Mexico. A lack of game experience after his foot injury? Not so you’d notice. The captain couldn’t do anything to stop Hirving Lozano’s eventual winner, however, despite some sharp reflexes. Now, Neuer and his teammates look forward to a crucial clash against Sweden on Saturday (20:00 CEST). Neuer spoke to the media shortly ahead of the departure to Sochi.
Manuel Neuer on...
... the reaction to the loss: We’ve just had a team meeting. We spoke a lot about what we need to do better. We are our own harshest critics and we’re extremely disappointed with how we performed against Mexico. It’s really beneficial to speak with each other about what we can do better. It’ll do us good.
... the role of the leaders in the squad: We have a number of players who have played in big tournaments like this. We’ve spoken a lot with each other and tried to find solutions. From now on every game is a final. We cannot play like we did in our first game. We didn’t have the right body language out on the pitch and we cannot let that happen again. We are confident that we can do that and we want to prove it against Sweden.
... a supposed meeting behind closed doors: There is no rift. We are one team and we all include one another in everything. The players that won the Confed Cup are a crucial part of the squad.
... the upcoming trip to Sochi: I think it’s a good thing that we’re flying to Sochi. We are looking forward to the change of scenery. It’s time to start anew. We would have liked to have played the Sweden game the day after the loss to put things right straightaway, but that’s not the case so we’re looking forward to going to a new city and a new stadium.