Confederations Cup final: Chile vs. Germany 5 key players
By Adam Stocker
Chile and Germany meet in the Confederations Cup final on Sunday, July 2. Here are five key players you should watch for.
Germany and Chile meet for the second time in this year’s Confederations Cup on Sunday, but this time they will play in the tournament final. In the group stage, Chile went up 1-0 in the sixth minute, when Alexis Sanchez scored his first goal of the tournament, but Lars Stindl tied the game four minutes before half-time. The game finished 1-1.
Chile advanced to the final after defeating Portugal on penalties. Claudio Bravo was fantastic in the shootout, saving all three Portuguese attempts. Germany cruised to the final after beating Mexico 4-1. Leon Goretzka scored twice in the opening eight minutes to put Mexico in an early hole, they couldn’t climb out of.
The final features two completely different teams. Chile’s squad is made up of experienced players that have won the past two Copa Americas. Alexis Sanchez, Gary Medel, Mauricio Isla and Arturo Vidal have played together for over a decade. In 2007, the four players helped Chile claim third place at the U-20 World Cup in Canada.
Joachim Low decided to give his veteran players an extended summer and took a younger squad to Russia. Only Jonas Hector and Julian Draxler entered the tournament with more than 20 international caps. The youth movement has payed off for Germany, and Low will have to make a difficult decision next season when he selects his squad for the World Cup. After winning the U-21 European Championship earlier this week, Germany will want to add their second trophy of the summer this week.
5. Timo Werner
Timo Werner scored his third goal of the tournament in the second half against Mexico to seal the win for Germany. The RB Leipzig striker took a huge step in his development after joining the Eastern German club from Stuttgart. In three seasons with Stuttgart, Werner scored only 13 goals. Last season with Leipzig, Werner was the highest scoring German in the Bundesliga with 21 goals. Even if Low decided to bring his full squad, Werner would likely be the first choice striker over Mario Gomez. The 21-year-old Werner plays with pace and is an excellent finisher with his right foot.
4. Arturo Vidal
Arturo Vidal is the heartbeat of the Chilean team. The midfielder is one of the hardest working players in the world. Vidal plays a box-to-box style that sees him shut down opposing attacks before they get started with his hard tackling play. The Bayern Munich midfielder is also capable of starting attacks with an impressive range of passing. Chile tend to go as Vidal goes in midfield. He can be reckless at times, and picks up more cards than he should, but his intensity will set the tone for Chile’s performance, for better or worse.
3. Joshua Kimmich
Joshua Kimmich, Sebastian Rudy and Julian Draxler are the only three German players to start every game of the tournament so far. Kimmich is extremely valuable to Low because of his ability to play so many positions on the field. Over the past two seasons, Kimmich has appeared as a full-back, center-back, midfielder and even as a winger. Kimmich allows Low to have positional flexibility in his lineups. If a German player picks up an injury, Low is able to seamlessly shift Kimmich into his position to make a change. Kimmich will likely start at right-back or right midfield in Sunday’s final. The 22-year-old is a good defender and can calmly make passes out of the back to kick-start an attack or push forward and make an overlapping run to deliver a cross into the box.
2. Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez is Chile’s best offensive player and their all-time leading scorer with 38 goals. The winger is strong on the ball and very difficult to dispossess. On Sunday, Sanchez will be one of the fastest players on the pitch and will try to use his speed and agility to create separation from the German defense. Chile will likely try to move Sanchez around in their formation as they try to get a favorable matchup against the German back line. With the German defense likely to key on Sanchez he might have to turn into a setup man for Eduardo Vargas. Vargas has scored 34 goals for Chile in only 76 games.
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1. Leon Goretzka
Leon Goretzka is a well-known name in Germany for his play with Schalke. After his performances in the Confederations Cup so far, Goretzka is becoming a well-known player to everyone else. Goretzka debuted as a 17-year-old with VfL Bochum in Bundesliga 2 and was signed after one season by Schalke. In his four seasons there, Goretzka has played as an attacking midfielder, a winger and a holding midfielder. At the Confederations Cup, Low has started Goretzka on the right wing, where he has scored three goals. Goretzka is known for his long strikes from outside of the box, smart passes and aerial ability. At 6-foot-2, Goretzka is able to use his leaping ability to win the ball over defenders and score with his head. Following the tournament, Goretzka might leave Gelsenkirchen, as the 22-year-old has been linked with both Bayern Munich and Arsenal.