United States striker Christian Pulisic, right, reacts after a missed shot while German striker Leroy Sane celebrates. (AP photo)
Germany sent a strong message ahead of the World Cup, extending its winning streak to nine games with a hard-fought 2-1 win over the United States in an international friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago on Saturday.The four-time world champion, seeded No10, heads into the tournament brimming with confidence after Leroy Sane’s second-half goal proved decisive in a close encounter in front of a crowd of 63,636. Germany will begin its World Cup campaign against Curacao on June 14 in a group that also includes Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
Germany got off to a bright start when Kai Havertz headed home a free kick from Joshua Kimmich in the second minute.
A foul by Tyler Adams outside the penalty area allowed Kimmich to shoot, and Havertz rose high inside the six-yard box to score his 22nd international goal.But the United States responded and equalized in the 37th minute. Jonathan Tah cleared Christian Pulisic’s corner kick and Anthony Robinson fired a stunning left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area. Robinson celebrated his fifth international goal with a wheel and a back flip.
Germany regained control 12 minutes into the second half. Havertz played a short pass to Sane, whose diagonal shot passed between the legs of defender Miles Robinson and beat keeper Matt Freese at the far post, and the shot appeared to deflect slightly on its way into goal.The win extended Germany’s unbeaten run to nine straight matches and confirmed the momentum they had built heading into the World Cup.
Injuries did not spare them completely, as 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl was ruled out after suffering a thigh problem during training, while veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was rested while he continued his recovery from a calf injury. Oliver Bowman started in goal in Neuer’s absence.For the United States, which ranked 16th, the defeat continued its worrying trend. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have now lost nine straight games to European opponents dating back to 2022. The Americans, who will host the World Cup for the first time since 1994, begin their campaign against Paraguay on Friday before facing Australia and Turkey.
