Germany faces Paraguay in the Round of 16: Warning to the DFB squad about a 2002 déjà vu

DFB sporting director Rudi Völler, who led the team as coach to the Round of 16 against Paraguay in 2002, warned of a difficult outing at the DFB base in Winston-Salem. It could be "ähnlich kompliziert," said the 66-year-old, who became world champion as a player in 1990. Back then the defense held firm despite a gritty match, and in the end Oliver Neuville rescued the German fans with a volley in the 88th minute to make it 1:0 at the Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo. Völler recalled that back then the team had at least "defensiv gut gestanden" and ultimately "alles geregelt" habe; if such a hard-fought working win were to repeat itself, "könnte ich sehr gut damit leben."

Paraguay's strength: Defensive and streetwise

The South American opponent advanced to the knockout round as the third-place team behind the USA and Australia and sits 37th in the FIFA World Rankings. Coach Gustavo Alfaro, still known to many from Paraguay's appearance at the 2022 World Cup, sees his team far from hopeless despite its underdog status and banks on defensive solidity. Only five players from Paraguay's World Cup squad are active in Europe; the team draws its strength from togetherness and tactical discipline. Back in August 2013, the DFB team had already dropped points against Paraguay in a 3:3 draw in Kaiserslautern. "Wir werden mit Gelassenheit in die Partie gehen," Alfaro had said after the 0:0 against Australia.

From a German perspective, the recent history weighs especially heavy: at the last two World Cups in 2018 and 2022, the team under then-bundestrainers Joachim Löw and Hansi Flick was already eliminated in the group stage. The recent form curve also offered little cause for comfort – the commanding 6:0 win over Slovakia in November was preceded by a 0:2 loss in Bratislava roughly two months earlier, and in the USA the team suffered the aforementioned defeat against Ecuador after eleven consecutive wins heading into the Round of 16.

Form crisis and personnel concerns

Against this backdrop, Völler issued a clear appeal to the attacking players. "Der Glaube ist da, dass wir alles herausholen, dass wir absolut ans Limit gehen, was ja auch selbstverständlich ist, ein richtig gutes Spiel machen und natürlich in die nächste Runde einziehen wollen," said the sporting director. At the same time, he pointed out that for the biggest goals, players like Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz must deliver and "zünden." Völler summed up the situation: "Es geht um ein K.-o.-Spiel. Da geht es um alles, um eine Runde weiterzukommen oder nach Hause zu fahren. Das wissen die Spieler."

Relief for Nagelsmann: Brown back in the squad

In terms of personnel, Nagelsmann can call on left-back Nathaniel Brown again in the Round of 16, as he has overcome his adductor problems. Otherwise, the bundestrainer is relying on the core of the team that is now under particular scrutiny after the group-stage exit. A failure in Foxborough would further fuel the debate about the DFB team's sporting direction.

Parallel to the tournament, the DFB is also making headlines off the pitch: DFB president Bernd Neuendorf was slated to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees game. The match in Foxborough kicks off at 10:30 PM local time and will be broadcast live on ZDF and MagentaTV.

Völler meanwhile tried to smooth any worry lines among fans and observers. "Ich glaube nicht, oder ich hoffe nicht," he said when asked whether he was worried about the team. The omens, however, remain serious – and the Round of 16 clash against the world-ranked 37th side is the German team's first real test of character since the 2017 Confederations Cup triumph.