Germany can improve despite 'high-quality' Spain draw - Joachim Low

Joachim Low has no doubt there is more to come from both Germany and Spain after the two World Cup hopefuls played out an entertaining 1-1 friendly draw in Dusseldorf.
In a mouth-watering showdown between the two most recent world champions, Spain took an early lead through Rodrigo before Thomas Muller smashed home an unstoppable equaliser 10 minutes before the break.
Germany had the better chances to win the game in the second half, but Spain goalkeeper David De Gea produced brilliant saves to deny Julian Draxler and Ilkay Gundogan while Mats Hummels sent a looping header against the crossbar.
Spain also went close through Isco, who was denied at point-blank range by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Diego Costa as honours finished even at a sold-out Esprit Arena.
Germany coach Low was satisfied with the night's work from his side, but believes the defending world champions and 2010 World Cup winners Spain still have room to improve.
He said in quotes reported by www.dfb.de: "I thought it was a great test for both teams.

"We can learn a lot from tonight, that's why we wanted to play against teams like Spain and Brazil. You can only truly gauge yourself as a team when you face the best.
"However, we still want to push on and improve. We can go up another gear and I think both teams haven't shown their full hand yet.
"It was a very high-quality game and I think the fans can be happy with what they've seen tonight.''
Germany midfielder Toni Kroos, who plays his club football in Spain for Real Madrid, believes a draw was the right result between the two footballing superpowers, who both remain unbeaten since Euro 2016.
He said: "Spain were on top for the first 20 minutes and deserved to be ahead. Then, we got a foothold on the ball and, in turn, the game.
"All in all, it was a fair result. It was a good game of football. We're putting in a solid level of performance.''
Spain needed just six minutes to take the lead when Andres Iniesta picked out Rodrigo's run into the box and the Valencia man coolly fired past Ter Stegen.
Germany roared back though, and equalised in memorable fashion when Muller found the top corner of De Gea's net with a 25-yard thunderbolt.
Spain coach Julen Lopetegui, who has yet to taste defeat in 17 matches in charge of La Roja, said of the match in AS: "The overall feeling is very good.
"We were playing against the best team in the world currently, a team with a lot of motivation and we've felt it. We've played a good game, we had chances to win and so did they.
"To come to Germany and dominate for 90 minutes is difficult, but the team have had personality, ambition and we've played our trump cards trying to win the game, as always at any ground and against any opponent.
"The team is on a very good path and these games help us to continue growing to be at the optimum level when the World Cup arrives.''
Spain captain Sergio Ramos, winning his 150th cap, added: "A great game for football lovers. We played a complete first half, with great effort because the team we were facing demand that of you.
"They are the world champions and you can feel that. They are one of the favourites to win the World Cup.''
Spain goalscorer Rodrigo added that he dedicated his strike to Santiago Canizares following the death of the ex-Spain keeper's son.
"I wanted to dedicate the goal to Canizares, to wish him all the best," Rodrigo said.
"We are all with him at this moment."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

England vs. Nigeria: Rohr reveals Super Eagles team plans

Image
Gernot Rohr has confirmed that he will play his 'best team' in Saturday's friendly against England at Wembley. Rohr told reporters on Friday that he will pick his preferred starters for the World Cup warm-up match, with one or two exceptions. "It is a big test. In the last match we didn't play our best team," the German coach began. "[On Saturday] we will try to play our best team. "Perhaps there will be one or two players who are not in the best team because of injury," Rohr continued, "but tomorrow we will see the team which has a chance to start against Croatia." Those two absentees are likely to be Wilfred Ndidi and Moses Simon. Ndidi appears to have recovered fully and trained with the rest of the squad at Wembley on Friday, but will not be risked, according to team officials. A combination of injuries, fitness issues, suspensions and a need to try out new players meant that the coach has been unable to roll out ...
Read more

World Cup trophy stolen by London gangsters before 1966 tournament - report

Image
A London gangster and his brother were behind the notorious unsolved theft of the World Cup trophy just months before the 1966 tournament in England, according to a report. Sidney Cugullere, with the help of his brother Reg, stole the Jules Rimet trophy while it was on public exhibition at the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, Reg's son Gary said. The theft led to one of the biggest investigations in Scotland Yard's history, before the trophy was found seven days later by a dog named Pickles in bushes outside his owner's south London home. The masterminds behind the heist remained a mystery. Gary told the Daily Mirror that his uncle Sidney had stolen the trophy "for the thrill" and not for financial gain -- and that Reg had also been in the hall at the time of the theft but had not seen Sidney take the cup. He added: "On the street after coming out of the doors, Sid lifted his jacket and said: "Ere you are, Reg, look at this'. He...
Read more

HIV-positive: Italian Valentino Talluto jailed for infecting 30 women

Image
An Italian accountant has been jailed for 24 years after intentionally infecting 30 women with HIV. Valentino Talluto is said to have had unprotected sex with at least 53 women after his HIV diagnosis in 2006, the youngest of whom was 14 at the relationship's start. The accountant, using the pseudonym "Hearty Style", went on social networks and dating sites to find his victims. On Friday, judges sentenced the 33-year-old to 24 years in prison. Talluto's defence lawyers had argued their client's actions were "imprudent, but not intentional". 'My ex told everyone I had HIV' However, those who asked him to wear a condom were told he was either allergic, or had recently been tested for HIV, news agency AFP reported. When some of the women confronted him after discovering they were infected, he denied he was a carrier of the potentially deadly virus, which can lead to Aids. As a result of his actions, another four people contract...
Read more