Neuer reacts to “special” World Cup opener
| Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images |
After months of speculation surrounding his international future, Neuer was restored as Germany’s first-choice goalkeeper for the tournament and retained the No.1 shirt for the opening group-stage fixture. The 40-year-old admitted the occasion held special significance as he reflected on his fifth World Cup appearance.
“That was very special. It makes me incredibly proud to be playing for the national team again. My fifth World Cup. I’m very pleased to be part of the whole thing.”
Germany made the perfect start when Felix Nmecha fired them ahead after just six minutes, but Neuer was denied a dream clean sheet on his World Cup return as Curaçao found an unexpected equaliser midway through the first half.
Reflecting on the goal, the veteran goalkeeper explained that a deflection left him with little chance of keeping the ball out.
“I actually was going to save it, but the ball took a deflection and the distance was too close to react. It was just unfortunate.”
Despite the setback, Germany quickly regained control and eventually overwhelmed their opponents, scoring six more times to make a strong statement in their opening match of the tournament.
Neuer was particularly pleased with the attitude shown by his teammates, praising both the starters and the substitutes for maintaining their intensity throughout the contest.
“I waited so long for this day and was determined to play. It felt very good to be on the pitch with the guys. It’s always very important to have a good start in a major tournament. We played a good game and scored many goals. The players who came off the bench brought good energy. We never stopped looking for the next goal. Now we’ll analyse and see what we can do better in the next games.”
