LONDON, June 30 ― Outgoing Germany coach Joachim Loew regretted his team's missed opportunities in their 2-0 defeat by England in their Euro 2020 last-16 game today after his 15-year run at the helm of the national team came to a losing end at Wembley stadium.
In what turned out to be Loew's last game in charge, his side found no way past a granite-like defence that has yet to concede in the tournament as Germany missed two golden chances, through Timo Werner and Thomas Mueller in either half.
“It was a huge disappointment,” Loew said. “We expected more and the belief in the team was there. But in such games you have to take your chances when you get them.
“We had two of those chances with Werner and Mueller and so it is bitter to be eliminated now at this stage.”
“It was clear that it would be a game of patience as no team was prepared to open up too much. So there would never be too many chances so if you do get one you have to use it.”
Werner cut into the box and fired against goalkeeper Jordan Pickford early in the first half, while Mueller, with only the keeper to beat, fired wide seconds after England had taken the lead through Raheem Sterling in the 75th minute.
“When such things happen, like Mueller's chance, then you just have to accept it. Normally he makes those and today we needed it but it did not happen.”
“England scored with their first chance and we did not score,” Loew said. “We could have come back. Then they scored again and it was not possible to turn it then.”
England striker Harry Kane's 86th minute header killed off the game.
Loew, who took over in 2006 and led Germany to the 2014 World Cup title before they crashed out of the tournament four years later in the first round, will be succeeded by former Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick.
“We had hoped for so much more in this tournament. I am sad that the enthusiasm at home is now gone after a game,” Loew said. “The quality is there, we had a good mentality and the team worked very hard but we were not consistent enough.”
Germany keeper Manuel Neuer said it could have gone either way.
“I think it was a huge chance for us to advance to the last eight but we missed that chance and the disappointment is great,” he said.
“It was a tight game. Werner had a chance, then at 1-0 Thomas (Mueller) had a chance. Had he scored it would have been different. It wasn't that they played us against the wall.” ― Reuters
