Undav as a Super Sub, Not a Starter? The Debate Around the VfB Striker Following the Group Win

National team coach Julian Nagelsmann was impressed by his striker's performance. "Das erste Tor war super Timing von Deniz. Den macht er unfassbar gut. Der ist unheimlich schwer. Das zweite ist ein klassischer Deniz Undav," said Nagelsmann. At the same time, he made clear: "Warum sollte ich seinen Flow jetzt brechen? Seine Rolle erfüllt er herausragend." However, he did not explicitly rule out a place in the starting lineup: "Es sei daher 'nicht ausgeschlossen', dass der Stuttgarter mal beginne. 'Wir werden beides diskutieren, auch mit Deniz.'"

Nagelsmann Does Not Want to Disrupt the Flow

Teammates rallied behind the striker. Antonio Rüdiger described him with the words: "Was Deniz besonders macht? Dass er nicht viel nachdenkt. Er kommt, macht seinen Job und geht wieder." Kai Havertz, who scored twice against Curaçao, added: "Wenn man so eine Waffe hat, muss man sie auch das eine oder andere Mal nutzen." Fellow player Jonathan Tah praised that Undav "pusht" the others. Nadiem Amiri, who himself had set up the 1:1 as a substitute, called the Stuttgart man an "absoluten Killer vor dem Tor."

The striker himself stays out of the question about his role. "Das liegt am Bundestrainer. Er trifft die Entscheidung. Ich versuche einfach, meinen Job zu machen," said Undav after the match. Reacting to the celebratory chants from the German fans in Toronto, he smiled: "Ich musste wieder lachen, selbst in Toronto wird mein Name gerufen, nicht nur in Stuttgart." Asked about his goal-scoring method, he simply said: "Einfach nur draufballern."

Matthäus Demands a Starting Spot, Klopp Dismisses the Idea

Record national team player Lothar Matthäus advocated for an immediate promotion in his Sky column. "Ich glaube schon, dass man Undav jetzt von Anfang an bringen müsste – was die Leistung betrifft, was die Quote betrifft," the 65-year-old wrote. He added: "Von dieser Seite her haben wir einen neuen 'Bomber der Nation'". Matthäus knows as well, though: "Undav will natürlich kein Joker sein. Das will keiner. Jeder Spieler sieht es im Endeffekt als sein Ziel an, sich dem Trainer anzubieten. Und das hat Undav gemacht."

Jürgen Klopp, who is covering the World Cup as a TV expert, sees things differently. "Mir würde kein Grund einfallen, warum man das ändern sollte. Wir konnten gegen die Elfenbeinküste auf einmal eine völlig neue Situation mit zwei Stürmern herstellen," said the former BVB coach. Mats Hummels also warned against jumping to conclusions and recalled André Schürrle, who played a crucial role in Germany's 2014 title win as a "Super-Joker." "Sie können ja mal André Schürrle fragen, ob er glücklich mit 2014 war."

Historically, the role of the substitute has not been a bad omen for the German team. Jürgen Grabowski had already earned a reputation as the "bester Einwechselspieler der Welt" at the heat-soaked 1970 World Cup in Mexico under national team coach Helmut Schön. Germany finished third that tournament. Nils Petersen, meanwhile, became the "Top-Joker" of the entire Bundesliga in his later years at SC Freiburg.

Best Goal-Scoring Record in the DFB Team

The statistics underscore Undav's exceptional standing within the DFB team. In his eleven international appearances, he has scored nine goals and averaged a goal involvement every eleven minutes – the best record in the German squad. Over 430 minutes of playing time, that translates to an average of one goal every 47.8 minutes. The striker also leads Lionel Messi in the FIFA Power Ranking of the best World Cup players.

Injuries are forcing Nagelsmann into changes regardless. Nico Schlotterbeck suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle during the match against Ivory Coast and is out for the rest of the tournament. The DFB confirmed the absence on Monday. Lennart Karl is also sidelined with a muscle injury. Antonio Rüdiger is the most likely candidate to take over Schlotterbeck's place in central defense. A late call-up is no longer possible under the regulations, as changes were only permitted up to 24 hours before the team's first match.

Injuries Force Changes

Schlotterbeck addressed the fans via Instagram. "Was jetzt zählt, ist die Mannschaft," the defender wrote. DFB President Bernd Neuendorf was also moved: "Dass unsere Mannschaft vorzeitig den Gruppensieg erreicht hat, erfüllt mich mit Stolz und Glück". Germany's place at the top of the group was already secured following the 0:0 draw between Ecuador and Curaçao on the same evening.

Ecuador's equalizer against Curaçao late in the evening secured Germany the group win before the final group-stage match. On Thursday, the DFB team faces Ecuador in East Rutherford/New Jersey at 10:00 PM (ARD and MagentaTV), followed by a Round of 16 clash in Boston the following Monday. The final is scheduled for July 19 – when Undav will turn 30.

Drinking Break Debate and World Cup Backdrop

Alongside the sporting topics, the new rule mandating three-minute drinking breaks per half-time is also generating discussion. Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa sharply criticized the measure: "Sie bringen nichts und nehmen dem Fußball viel weg. Ich möchte nur sagen, dass der Fußball vor dieser Entscheidung einen bestimmten Charakter hatte, jetzt hat er einen anderen." FIFA introduced the rule to ease the burden on players; in Australia, the breaks are marketed by McDonald's as the "Maccas Match Break."

In the German camp, attention turned quickly to what lies ahead the day after the match. While the starting eleven recovered in the gym in Winston-Salem a day after the 2:1 in Toronto, Undav trained with the reserves. "Ab der 60. Minute war dann wieder Undav-Time," the dpa reported. The fans behind the goal had already chanted "Deniz Undav" before he was even substituted on. For his performance, the striker received the silver "Man of the Match" trophy, presented by ice hockey star Leon Draisaitl. "Die geht zur Frau," said the striker – and admitted that he was "leider" denied his beloved Döner as a reward.

The match against Ivory Coast did have one blemish: Ivory Coast coach Emerse Faé, 42, criticized the German team's lack of fair play after the 1:2 defeat. "Wir nehmen uns solche Nationen als Beispiel, um uns weiterzuentwickeln, und ich war ein wenig enttäuscht über den Mangel an Fairplay dieser deutschen Mannschaft," said Faé, referring to a moment in the 80th minute when Wilfried Singo had played the ball out after a challenge with Kai Havertz. Former national team coach Berti Vogts, who led Germany to the European Championship title in 1996, on the other hand, assessed the goal conceded as a "Weckruf": "Es war ein Weckruf, mancher Spieler wird gesagt haben: 'Moment mal, ich will gewinnen, dafür muss ich aber mehr machen.'"