Comment: | Germany was almost a joke, but these things turned the direction towards the European Championship gold dream

BerlinBerlin, we travel to Berlin!

That’s what the German fans shouted at the packed Westfalenstadion in Dortmund, again and again, as the European Championship host team beat Denmark 2-0 in the quarter-final match on Saturday night.

The European Championship final will be played in Berlin in two weeks – and that’s Germany’s destination. The dream of the host country lives on.

Although Denmark caused considerable problems for the home team in white in Dortmund, Germany’s head coach Julian Nagelsmann the group deservedly took its place in the quarterfinals. It took it aggressively, fighting and holding its nerve.

At least a violent thunderstorm, in its wake a grass resembling a skating rink and a dangerous Danish tip Rasmus Höjlund did not manage to stop Germany, who celebrated their sliding tackles and built numerous top positions in the closing stages of the match.

Nagelsmann’s Germany showed that it had learned from the opening block. It managed to attack in a more versatile way, both through the center with short passes, from the wings and also with continuous vertical runs and long balls behind the Danish line. That’s how it was born Jamal Musialan completed the 2–0 goal.

Head coach Nagelsmann has succeeded in his task perfectly so far. Before the games, he said he wanted his team to play entertaining, attacking football – check. He wanted his team to succeed – check. And he said he wants to get the German supporters, who have sunk into chronic disappointment in recent years, behind the team – check.

Three tick the box.

First is entertainment. Already in the initial group stage, Germany scored the most goals of all teams, eight hits, and they shot the most, 58 times. In the Denmark game, two more goals and 15 shots were added to the statistics.

The attacking way of playing led to success, i.e. a place in the quarterfinals. For the first time since the summer of 2016, the Germans reached the top eight in the prestigious competition.

Years of underperformance are now finally over. In 2016 in France, Germany progressed to the semi-finals, where, however, they just lost to the hosts in blue shirts. This summer could be the place for a rematch, as France and Germany might meet again in the semifinals.

And then Nagelsmann’s third goal: generating euphoria. Instilling pride and faith in the national team – that is perhaps even his greatest achievement.

For years the national team of the time was almost nothing more than a joke to the Germans, a carelessly mucked-up group of players who failed chronically. But now the national team matters again.

It has been great to watch the gradual awakening of the Germans’ fever for competition. Two weeks ago, before the opening match of the European Championship, people still shrugged their shoulders, said that “of course you could watch that game”, but today the mass dressed in white and pink jerseys, face painting and black-red-yellow wigs was on the move towards Dortmund already ten hours before the start of the game. The center of Dortmund was bursting with fans, and fan events in other cities had to be closed even hours before the start of the match.

Now the German Games are just starting. The euphoria has begun.