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Before the commencement of FIFA World Cup 2018, not even a single football fan could have predicted the way World Cup turned out for Germany.
The defending champions were one of the favourites (if not THE favourite) to clinch the all-important title before the tournament kicked off. However, they did not begin their campaign in a very characteristic (promising) fashion as they suffered a 1-0 loss at the hands of Mexico in their opening encounter.
Things were expected to patch up for Die Mannschaft in the following matches as virtually all the potential World Cup contenders started off in a similar fashion, including the likes of Brazil and Argentina.
Nevertheless, Germany never got into the groove and this was even evinced in their second match against Sweden. Although they won it by a marginal scoreline of 2-1, Janne Andersson's side gave them a good run for their money and the victory would have not even resulted if it had not been for a last-minute aesthetic goal from Toni Kroos.
As such, the team's performances were in stark contrast to their majestic stature. South Korea struck the final nail in the coffin as they produced a 2-0 giant-killing at Kazan Arena sending Joachim Low's side crashing out of the World Cup.
Also Read: Twitter explodes as Germany crash out of the World Cup
Here are the 3 reasons why Germany were not even able to qualify for the Round of 16:
#1 Underwhelming players
It's true that Germany were not facilitated with the presence of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose and Philipp Lahm like World Cup 2014 but they still had a side alive with world-beaters.
All the same, the so-called 'world-beaters' never really stepped up to the plate. On the back, Mats Hummels was expected to lead the pack but he was easily outclassed by the strikers of the opposing teams. Consequently, Germany conceded a total of 4 goals and failed to maintain a clean sheet in any of the matches.
In the midfield, Toni Kroos was expected to maintain the composure but he failed to bring his A-game in the competition. In the face of his late winner against Sweden, he was below-par in the very match and the first goal of the match was a result of one of his blunders to boot.
Even Thomas Müller, who was predicted to lead the line, did not live up to the expectations.
In consequence, an ignominious elimination was always in the offing for 2014 World Cup champions.
#2 Conversion ordeal
In the 23-man squad, Low selected Timo Werner and Mario Gomez to lead the line for the 4-time World Cup champions.
In their first match against Mexico, Werner lacked imagination and never proved to be a serious threat for the Mexican rearguard. He easily messed up the chances created for him and that was one of the significant reasons why Germany did not get off the mark.
In the following game, even though the team won the match, the central strikers namely Mario Gomez, who was brought on in the second half, and Timo Werner never made their influence felt. The only two goals came off as a result of Marco Reus' fluky tap-in and Toni Kroos one-for-the-books shot.
Even in their must-win game against South Korea, Germany did not receive much help from the front.
As a result, Germany only scored two goals in the whole tournament!
#3 Omissions from the team
A number of leading lights was left out in the cold by Joachim Low as he prepared his final squad for Russia and the decision proved to be detrimental.
Leroy Sane was a player who generated headlines with his exclusion from Germany's 23-man squad. Many questions and brickbats were hurled at the manager for leaving out the Manchester City starlet and the criticism was all but right.
Things might have shaped up well for Germany had they boasted of the 22-year-old, who patently made his absence felt. The midfield was exposed several times in the tournament as players failed to endure the pressure and were easily dispossessed.
At such times, you are forced to think of Leroy Sane who has shot to fame in the past couple of years due to his shrewdness in the core of the pitch. The former Schalke player is not only adept at slaloming past opponents with ease but can also open up spaces for his team-mates with skilful passes.
On top of that, Manuel Neuer was chosen ahead of an in-form Ter Stegen. While it is true that the Bayern goalkeeper did not make any mentionable errors, it is fair to say that he was not at his best. The prize-winner of Golden Glove 2014 conceded 4 goals in 3 matches and this tally, in all likelihood, would have been better if Low had given precedence to form over status.
