Chile 0 - 1 Germany, Confederations Cup final: as it happened, goals, match report
Joachim Löw's youthful Germany side pipped Chile to the 2017 Confederations Cup, courtesy of a first-half tap-in from Lars Stindl.Espanyol-Barcelona live stream online: LaLiga 2017-18
Chile 0 - 1 Germany: match report
A youthful Germany side secured a narrow victory over Chile to win the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia. Lars Stindl scored the only goal of the game in the first half after a mistake from Marcelo Díaz.
The German Under 21’s victory in the European Championships on Friday was an ominous demonstration of the depth of talent available to Joachim Löw. The victory in Saint Petersburg was a further reinforcement of that, as Germany lifted the trophy despite leaving several experienced players out of the squad. The competition provided Russia with a chance to test things out ahead of the World Cup, and Löw approached it in a similar way. He gave several young players the chance to impress, and they grasped it.
Chile started the match at a frenetic pace. They pressed Germany like a pack of hyenas, attacking at every opportunity. Jean Beausejour and Mauricio Isla marauded forward from the full-back positions.
Yet one calamitous error swung the match in Germany’s favour. Celta Vigo’s Marcelo Díaz dallied on the edge of his own box. He successfully swiveled away from Stindl, but went straight in to the path of Timo Werner. The 21-year-old striker committed Claudio Bravo, and squared the ball to Stindl to pass it in to an empty net.
Chile did not waver in their commitment to passing out of defence. Gonzalo Jara and Gary Medel both suffered from concentration lapses, but Germany did not take advantage.
The match stuttered in the second half. It became fragmented, sloppy. Gonzalo Jara was lucky to remain on the pitch after the VAR picked up on an elbow to the jaw of Timo Werner. After a prolonged period of deliberation, Jara was, inexplicably, shown a yellow card.
Arturo Vidal and substitute Angelo Sagal both missed guilt-edged chances from close range. Alexis Sánchez buzzed around the German box, but could not fashion an opening.
The match felt like a crossroads for both teams. For Chile, the old-guard are on their way out. The World Cup next summer will be a last hurrah for this talented generation that flourished under Jorge Sampaoli, and continue to entertain with Juan Antonio Pizzi at the helm. For Germany, the plentiful flow of young talent shows no sign of abating.
Chile 0 - 1 Germany: as it happened
