The Germany men’s Olympic football team have scored 19 goals in four games in Brazil and boast the best attack at the Olympics. Head coach Horst Hrubesch’s side earned themselves an impressive 4-0 quarterfinal win against Portugal. Serge Gnabry leads the goalscoring charts at the Games with six goals, while Nils Peterson, Max Meyer and Davie Selke have often found themselves on the scoresheet too.
Someone who may not immediately stand out for everyone given the attacking prowess of the Germany squad is right back Jeremy Toljan. The 22-year-old from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim has been in the starting XI for all four matches at the Olympics and always carries out his defensive duties diligently and reliably. And the ever modest Toljan also helps bolster the attack down the right wing together with the man with the most assists, Julian Brandt (seven in total).
In an interview with DFB.de, Toljan speaks about the tournament so far, the stellar performance in the quarterfinals against Portugal and the upcoming semi-final against Nigeria (Tuesday from 21:00 CEST). He also reveals who calls the shots when it comes to the music in the changing room.
DFB.de: Mr. Toljan, can you describe the reaction after the final whistle in the quarterfinal, on the pitch and in the changing room?
Jeremy Toljan: We were just really happy and thrilled to be in the semi-final. Serge [Gnabry] turned the music up full blast and we all celebrated together. You have to enjoy these moments, but of course we know that we still haven’t accomplished anything and we want to continue on our journey.
DFB.de: So Serge Gnabry has declared himself DJ in the changing room? What kind of music gets put on?
Toljan: Yes, Serge or Julian [Brandt] tend to control the music in the changing room. They play a lot of hip hop and R ‘n’ B, which goes down well with all the players.
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The Germany men’s Olympic football team have scored 19 goals in four games in Brazil and boast the best attack at the Olympics. Head coach Horst Hrubesch’s side earned themselves an impressive 4-0 quarterfinal win against Portugal. Serge Gnabry leads the goalscoring charts at the Games with six goals, while Nils Peterson, Max Meyer and Davie Selke have often found themselves on the scoresheet too.
Someone who may not immediately stand out for everyone given the attacking prowess of the Germany squad is right back Jeremy Toljan. The 22-year-old from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim has been in the starting XI for all four matches at the Olympics and always carries out his defensive duties diligently and reliably. And the ever modest Toljan also helps bolster the attack down the right wing together with the man with the most assists, Julian Brandt (seven in total).
In an interview with DFB.de, Toljan speaks about the tournament so far, the stellar performance in the quarterfinals against Portugal and the upcoming semi-final against Nigeria (Tuesday from 21:00 CEST). He also reveals who calls the shots when it comes to the music in the changing room.
DFB.de: Mr. Toljan, can you describe the reaction after the final whistle in the quarterfinal, on the pitch and in the changing room?
Jeremy Toljan: We were just really happy and thrilled to be in the semi-final. Serge [Gnabry] turned the music up full blast and we all celebrated together. You have to enjoy these moments, but of course we know that we still haven’t accomplished anything and we want to continue on our journey.
DFB.de: So Serge Gnabry has declared himself DJ in the changing room? What kind of music gets put on?
Toljan: Yes, Serge or Julian [Brandt] tend to control the music in the changing room. They play a lot of hip hop and R ‘n’ B, which goes down well with all the players.
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DFB.de: Would you have thought that you’d beat Portugal by such a clear margin?
Toljan: Of course we hadn’t assumed beforehand that the result would be so clear. You always have to deal with very strong opponents in the quarterfinals and each team has deserved to reach this round. But we are convinced that we will win matches if we perform at our best, regardless of the strength of our opponents. We are very glad that the win against Portugal ended up being by such a high margin. With that, we have made a huge statement to the other three teams who are still left in the tournament.
DFB.de: What was the key to winning in the quarterfinals?
Toljan: We had a very good system and controlled the game. Portugal couldn’t develop their attacks and we scored our goals at the right time. Going 1-0 up shortly before half time was extremely important, and then we just kicked on in the second half. We could have even scored more goals.
DFB.de: Not before reaching the semi-final can anyone claim that the team has gelled and found its feet, can they?
Toljan: Absolutely. We have improved game by game and developed as a team. We’ve also gained confidence from our strong performances. If we now continue to improve, we will achieve our main goal: reaching the final in the Maracanã, preferably against Brazil.
DFB.de: And you are also pleased with your own performances at the tournament?
Toljan: On the whole, yes. As a defender it is important that nothing gets through the back first and foremost. We didn’t succeed at that against Mexico and South Korea, so I wasn’t completely satisfied. But we showed character and fought back. If we win as a team, it is also highly likely that each individual has performed well too. That was the case against Portugal. We kept a clean sheet and if I can help out in attack, it is a bonus.
DFB.de: Now come the semi-finals against Nigeria in São Paulo. Getting to the final would already guarantee a medal. How are you viewing preparation for this match?
Toljan: Yesterday and today we recovered after a tiring game against Portugal, then on top of that you’ve got the journey to São Paulo. We will analyse our opponents and adjust accordingly in training for Nigeria. We are coming up against a physically strong and quick side, one that will push us all to the limit. But as I said, if we go into the game and turn up fully concentrated, we only make ourselves harder to beat.
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