Germany’s national soccer team defeated the United States 2-1 in a friendly match at Chicago’s Soldier Field, continuing their impressive nine-game winning streak as they prepare for the World Cup. Leroy Sané’s goal in the 57th minute secured the victory for Germany, following a tiebreaking shot that slipped past U.S. defender Miles Robinson and goalkeeper Matt Freese.
The match began with Germany’s Kai Havertz scoring a header from a free kick in the second minute, putting the four-time World Cup champions ahead early. The United States responded in the 37th minute when Antonee Robinson scored with a left-foot volley after a corner kick from Christian Pulisic, leveling the score.
Despite the loss, the U.S. team, ranked 16th, is gearing up to host the World Cup for the first time since 1994. They will face Paraguay in their opening match, followed by games against Australia and Turkey. This defeat marks the ninth consecutive loss for the U.S. against European teams since 2022.
Germany, ranked 10th, will begin their World Cup campaign against Curaçao, with additional group matches against Ivory Coast and Ecuador. The match at Soldier Field, which hosted the 1994 World Cup opener, drew a sellout crowd of 63,636. Notably, Chicago opted not to bid for hosting 2026 World Cup matches, citing financial concerns with FIFA.
Both teams faced challenges with key players missing due to injuries. The U.S. played without top defender Chris Richards, sidelined since May 17. Germany’s 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl was also absent, having been ruled out of the World Cup due to a thigh injury. Oliver Baumann took the place of Germany’s usual goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, who is recovering from a calf issue.
Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
