Last night’s 4-2 victory over Costa Rica was insufficient for Germany to guarantee Round of 16 qualification. The victory by Japan over Spain allowed the Germans to finish third in the group.
Die Mannschaft has already lost their place in the World Cup group stage two times in a row. Bastian Schweinsteiger, a legendary German football player, has expressed his disappointment with the outcome in light of it.
In particular, Schweinsteiger has criticized the German defense, which has allowed five goals overall in three games. The former midfielder for Bayern Munich, however, has lauded Antonio Rudiger and referred to him as the only capable defender on the squad.
According to him, Antonio Rudiger is the only high-caliber defender the team has (via DW Sports).
One of the top German midfielders of the twenty-first century, Schweinsteiger continued by criticizing the other defenders on the team, claiming they lacked the necessary exposure to elite football and experience.
He said, “The others are all merely Bundesliga quality.” The performances of some German defenders, including Niklas Sule and Nico Schlotterbeck of Borussia Dortmund, have drawn widespread criticism. Schweinsteiger’s comments come amid this criticism.
Rudiger, on the other hand, was one of the performers who remained consistent over the last three games, using his wisdom and leadership skills to keep the ship in the back on course. He did, however, make a couple mistakes last night against Costa Rica.
The former Chelsea center-back is expected to rejoin Real Madrid quickly now that Germany has been eliminated. He will travel with Thibaut Courtois and Eden Hazard, whose Belgium team was eliminated after a tie with Croatia.
