Spotlight on Goretzka: Bayern star apparently chickened out during the penalty shootout | OneFootball

The German national team was eliminated in the round of 32 at the World Cup in North America. The DFB squad lost to Paraguay in a penalty shootout—and that was after a game that went anything but well. 

Basically, not a single player played up to his usual standard. The Bayern stars were largely lackluster. There was a complete lack of creativity. Only Kai Havertz’s 1-1 goal provided a brief ray of hope.

But that was clearly not enough. In the penalty shootout, Havertz himself, as well as Jonathan Tah and Nick Woltemade, lost their nerve.

Goretzka in the spotlight after DFB elimination

The first five shooters were determined relatively quickly. After that, however, some interesting scenes unfolded on the field—specifically before Tah’s missed shot, as he stepped up as the sixth shooter.

According to BILD, there had reportedly been internal difficulties beforehand in even finding a sixth taker! Tah was the first to face the intense pressure because other DFB stars had hesitated. It was noticeable how Joshua Kimmich, the captain of the German team, wanted to determine the remaining order after the fifth shot.

Photo: Getty Images

Kimmich approached the players and asked Nathaniel Brown, “Nene, number eight?” Immediately afterward, the captain turned to the experienced Leon Goretzka and asked, “Or Leon, you?”

The midfielder’s reaction raised questions. At that moment, the veteran showed no sign of being ready. He puffed out his cheeks and looked skeptical. Kimmich apparently interpreted Goretzka’s reaction unambiguously and assigned him the ninth spot.

Goretzka came on as a substitute later in the game and didn’t have much of an impact on the match. But it would be too easy to pin the loss on him, since many other players also failed to make an impression. The scene during the penalty shootout, however, is telling.