In a captivating match between Germany and the USA, Arsenal's trio of German stars all featured. The clash predominantly comprised of persistent German attacks drowned in a sea of American bodies, protecting their goal admirably, however they only had one goal to show for their dominance.
Although Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil were both deployed in wide areas, their contribution was at bi-polar opposites of each other.
Podolski, the more conventional winger of the two, tended to hug the by-line and rarely shifted. Throughout the match, he continued to provide useful outlets for the Germans, breaching the USA's defensive line a handful of times. He attempted two crosses but uncharacteristically, he missed the target on both occasions. Ultimately, it was a rather lackadaisical performance from the former Bayern Munich man, who failed to complete a single take-on in his 45 minutes and only touched the ball 31 times. At half time, Joachim Low had had enough and decided to end his day's work by bringing on Miroslav Klose.
By contrast, Özil's appeared in all kinds of spaces. With the support of the on rushing Jérôme Boateng, Ozil was able to torment Beasley and cut inside with menace. On other occasions, Ozil popped up on the left side of midfield to supplement the often-isolated Podolski. In Özil's third consecutive World Cup game, he was deployed on the right side of midfield. Again, he showed a notable competence in this role, which enables him the freedom to roam inside as an inverted winger. This is where he is at his most dangerous, as he completed a total of three key passes, and should certainly be a considered role for Ozil to occupy at Arsenal. He also completed a total of two dribbles, more than anyone else on the pitch. On the 89th minute, his game came to an end as the less capable André Schürrle, of Chelsea, replaced him.
At the heart of Germany's defense, Per Mertesacker was up to his usual high standards. He completed 96% of his 109 passes, whilst he was pretty faultless defensively. Must be mentioned that there wasn't a great deal of defending to do, however, and his night was spent mostly recycling possession.
