Germany national team: Can they break the curse?
(Baonghean.vn) - The five most recent World Cup champions are France (1998), Brazil (2002), Italy (2006), Spain (2010), and Germany (2014). To date, three of those champions have been eliminated after the group stage of the following World Cup. Will the reigning champions, Germany, be able to break this unlucky curse?
In their very first match, defending champions Germany suffered a surprising 0-1 defeat to Mexico in their opening game to defend their title at the 2018 World Cup. This reminded experts of the fate of the French, Italian, and Spanish national teams, seemingly cursed as if it were coming true for European teams: winning the World Cup once, failing to advance beyond the group stage the next time.
 |
| Will Germany follow in the footsteps of France, Italy, and Spain after losing 0-1 to Mexico in their opening match? Photo: AFP |
Failed to advance from the group stage.
The 2002 World Cup was the first time it was held in Asia. The French team came to the 2002 World Cup with a squad of players who were at their peak: Patrick Vieira (4), Zinedine Zidane (10), Djibril Cisse (9), Youri Djorkaeff (6), Thierry Henry (12), David Trezeguet…
Surprisingly, they lost 0-1 to Senegal in their first match, followed by a 0-0 draw with Uruguay, and finally a 0-2 loss to Denmark. Defending champions France were eliminated in the group stage with only 1 point, finishing last in Group A. This was a real shock for the French players and people; no one believed the defending champions would be eliminated from South Korea after just three lackluster matches.
At the 2010 World Cup, the Italian team, led by coach Lippi, arrived in South Africa as the defending champions after learning a valuable lesson from France's experience. They prepared thoroughly with renowned players such as goalkeeper Buffon, famous defenders Bocchetti, Bonucci, F. Cannavaro, and Zambrotta, and forwards Borriello and Di Natale, with Pirlo as the playmaker. Placed in Group F with relatively easy opponents like Paraguay, Slovakia, and New Zealand, they ultimately only managed two draws before losing 2-3 to Slovakia and leaving South Africa at the bottom of the group.
Continuing on to the 2014 World Cup with Spain's golden generation. Even with stars shining at club level like Xavi, Iniesta, and David Villa, Spain couldn't break the curse against European teams winning the World Cup. After two consecutive defeats – 1-5 against the Netherlands and 0-2 against Chile – Spain were eliminated early from the group stage. A consolation victory against Australia in the final match only prevented them from finishing last in their group, like France in 2002 and Italy in 2010.
Third time's the charm, and rumors have been circulating about some kind of curse affecting European teams, because in terms of skill, the reigning champions are not inferior at all, and are even contenders for the title.
The fate of the German national team
Frankly, the German squad for this World Cup in Russia isn't as star-studded as the three champions mentioned above; they are currently undergoing a rejuvenation process. However, it still includes names like goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), midfielders Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Sami Khedira (Juventus), and Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich). Surprisingly, despite not making a significant impact at either club or national team level, Bayern Munich midfielder Sebastian Rudy is included in the squad, effectively denying Leroy Sane a chance to participate.
 |
| The curse: Win the World Cup last time, fail to advance beyond the group stage this time. (Image: internet) |
It's hard to understand why a player who had such a successful season with such excellent form as Leroy Sane wasn't selected for the World Cup in Russia. Shining brightly as a winger for Manchester City, who later won the Premier League title, the 22-year-old midfielder, with his rare speed and skillful technique, was voted "Young Player of the Season" by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA). Sane was involved in 33 goals for Man City, scoring 14 and assisting 19 – more than any other German player in the top five European leagues.
Heading into the 2018 World Cup, Germany is following in the footsteps of France, Italy, and Spain, having lost 0-1 to Mexico in their opening match. Of course, head coach Joachim Loew still has a chance to rectify the situation if he wins the next two matches against Sweden and South Korea. But let's not forget that Sweden was the team that eliminated Italy, sending them home to watch this World Cup. With only draws and losses in their last five friendly matches, Die Mannschaft is causing concern among their fans.
No team has won the World Cup twice in a row since Brazil's achievement in the 1958 and 1962 World Cups.
Will Germany fall into the same trap as previous champions, or will they overcome this unfortunate streak to retain their title for the eighth consecutive year, winning the World Cup for the fifth time in their history?