BERLIN, April 2 — The German national team’s latest gentle upswing seems to trigger ambitious goals.
Despite facing feared opponent Spain in Group E, German international Manuel Neuer and coach Hansi Flick spoke about wanting to create a new successful chapter at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
“There is only one goal for me and that is to win the World Cup,” 36-year-old Neuer said.
The Bayern goalie witnessed the Doha group draw in Germany on TV with the 2014 world champion having to face Japan, Spain, and the winner of the continental play-offs between Costa Rica and New Zealand.
“We have set high goals and talk about at least reaching the final,” Flick said in the Exhibition and Convention Center in Doha where the tournament is to be played between November 21 and December 18, 2022.
Having lost ground due to disappointing performances at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2020 European Championship, Flick’s newly formed team might at present not be Group E’s favorite.
Neuer talked of bad memories regarding Spain “but things like that don’t happen twice to us.”
November 17 in 2020 stands for one of Germany’s darkest football moments with the team of Flick’s predecessor Joachim Loew having to take a disastrous 6-0 defeat in the Nations League.
Despite having lost 1-0 in a semifinal of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Germany’s record against Spain remains slightly positive with nine victories, eight draws, and eight defeats.
“We have to be at a top-level right from the start. It is no surprise to get one of the world football’s greatest in your group,” 2020 treble winner Flick stated.
Facing Japan means meeting several Japanese players employed by clubs in the German first and second tier.
A win and a draw in two games against Japan speak in favor of Germany aside from having beaten the underdogs of Costa Rica and New Zealand once.
With the group first and the second proceeding to the round of 16, the next stage seems a must for the four-times world champion and is a possible last-16 encounter, Belgium or Croatia are the most likely opponents.
Having won eight of his first nine games as head coach Flick seems on his way to leading struggling Germany back to glory.
Helpful in this case might be his contribution to the 2014 World Cup. With Germany winning the trophy at that time, assistant coach Flick was seen as the country’s mastermind.
“He has triggered new optimism and enthusiasm,” Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan recently said.
Neuer spoke of the kick-off of a new era.
“We are desperate to make up for the poor results over the past years,” he added.
The Nations League duels against Italy and England this summer “are providing top-class competition and the best preparation for Qatar you can get. I am optimistic we will do a great job at the World Cup,” the Bayern keeper said.
German national team director Oliver Bierhoff called it a realistic goal to win the 2022 World Cup. “We experience a promising re-start with a determined newly formed squad,” the 1996 European champion said. (Xinhua)