Analysing Mesut Ozil, Germany and Arsenal’s Underperforming World Cup Star

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 1, 2014

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Although Germany continued their march toward World Cup success on Monday with a 2-1 win over Algeria, it was the type of victory that felt almost like defeat through the manner of the performance. 

Joachim Low's side spent much of the game as the second best team on the park, as plucky Algeria defied the odds and pushed the German side all the way to extra time; an enjoyable game for neutrals alike but one that Thomas Mueller and Co. will rarely enjoy revisiting. 

What was most remarkable about Germany's performance was the collective lack of incentive or belief that seems to have spread throughout the side since their humbling 2-2 draw with Ghana in the group stages. 

The two games that followed—the final group game against the United States and Monday's knockout clash with Algeria—should have been fairly enjoyable affairs for German fans across the world, but instead both opponents exposed an ugly truth to Low's team; too many of this side's key players simply aren't up to scratch. 

The most notable of these was Mesut Ozil—Arsenal's most expensive transfer ever and undoubtedly the attacking linchpin of this side—who once again drifted through another match for Germany as no more than a passenger. 

Where Ozil would once demand the centre of attention from his national teammates and decide the fate of international games as well as Andres Iniesta or Andrea Pirlo, he now offers no more than an extra body in attack and a lazy final ball. 



His goal in the 119th minute of Monday's game was quite befitting for all the wrong reasons; having received a perfect pass from Andre Schurrle, Ozil opted to instead pass it back to the Chelsea player rather than finish the move himself. It was only once the rebounded shot had returned to him that the attacking midfielder thumped the ball in with nothing but pure instinct. 
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Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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