The Germans like to be entertained; they like drama. Very rarely does Germany ever go through a group stage campaign in a World Cup with minimum fuss. Take for example their encounter against Ghana yesterday. Joachim Löw put out the exact same lineup as the first match, one he should have known would struggle against the physical power of the opponents.
The first half gave signs that the Germans needed to change things. In the second half, at 2-1 down, there was no other choice. Eventually, they were left to thank the most experienced player in their squad for the equalizer. The draw perhaps satisfied the Germans more; in truth, Ghana was perhaps more disappointed. When they were ahead, they broke apart the German midfield and defense easily and threatened a third. Poor decision making in the final third denied them and they were eventually punished.
As for the match itself, the Germans were perhaps not set up in the right manner. Löw went ahead with a false nine in the shape of the wily Thomas Müller. Müller was just not the type of player he needed up front in this one. In fact, the scorer of three goals against Portugal would have been better off on the wing or as a second striker alongside a big target man. Germany seemed to be looking for the perfect goal at times; this was not going to happen against Ghana. They also needed the steel and intelligence of Bastian Schweinsteiger.
After Mario Götze sent Germany into the lead, all the problems of the German defense became obvious. Skhodran Mustafi had taken over for Jerome Boateng by then. Germany's wingbacks were not quite the attacking outlets they could be because of the fear of getting caught out. After all, they are naturally center backs.
At this point, moving Lahm back to defense might not have been the worst idea, considering that the Germans needed to add more width. Also, Per Mertesacker and Mats Hummels showed that their partnership was a relatively new one. Mertesacker especially was caught out due to his lack of speed.
Germany did not underperform though. They performed in the manner in which they were supposed to perform. They slowed down the pace of the game to adjust to the heat of Brazil. They also combined well on quite a few occasions. What really undid them was Ghana's physicality. The Ghanaians pressed from the halfway line and were successful at times. They forced Lahm to lose the ball a few times as well. Germany will be glad this match is behind them.
Now, it all comes down to the final game, a match in which the Germans seem to respond. In 2010, the opponents were Ghana and in 2002, they were Cameroon (in 2006, the third match held little weight as Germany won their first two). Die Nationalmannschaft managed to win both. This time, their opponent is USA, who, if results go against them, might go into this match needing a win to qualify for the Round of 16. The US showed just how resolute they are against Ghana. They are very difficult to break down. While not sparkling in attack, they know how to score goals.
In short, the final match day of Group G will be a nervy one. For now, Germany can thank their old striker, Miroslav Klose, for finding his fifteenth World Cup goal and thus making history at a time when Germany needed him most.
