Vatutinki (Russia): Germany captain Manuel Neuer said Tuesday that his side’s two remaining World Cup group games are now effectively finals and revealed frank words were exchanged in the team camp as they fight to stay in the tournament.
The World Cup holders are under intense pressure ahead of Saturday’s second Group F game against Sweden in Sochi and the South Korea match June 27 after suffering a shock 0-1 defeat Sunday to Mexico.
“From now on, we only have finals. The players have to show what they can do, but I am convinced that we can do it (qualify for the knockouts),” Neuer said.
We won’t need a second wake-up call. We want to reach the knockout stages and the team believe that we can do it
Manuel Neuer
Pre-World Cup talk from the German camp was about becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the title. Now the worry is whether Joachim Loew’s team can even reach the last 16.
“Complaining about what happened doesn’t change anything, we all know that,” said Neuer. “We have to try to put this (loss) behind us as quickly as possible.”
Neuer revealed that head coach Loew spoke at length during an emergency team meeting after the poor display in Moscow and that the players did not hold back in giving their opinion.
“There was a lengthy team meeting,” Neuer informed. “We didn’t mince words, because we want to make things better against Sweden. We talked a lot, such meetings are good, it’s a liberating feeling and the outlines came from the coach. We are our harshest critics,” the goalkeeper added.
Neuer asserted that all the stops will be pulled out against Sweden. “Every player must ask himself, ‘am I ready to give everything’?, said Germany’s shot-stopper.