Boateng: 'Our game was too anxious'

DW: Two World Cup goals, two injuries: one to your thumb, the other muscle stiffness in your thigh. How are you feeling right now?

Jerome Boateng: I'm doing better today. I was able to practice with the team. Thanks to the massages the muscle has relaxed and my hip is right again.

How exactly did you injure yourself in the Ghana game?

I took a hit relatively early in the match that shifted my hip. That went through the nerve to the muscle and my entire left side went stiff. I had to go out at halftime. The risk was too great.

Will you be able to you play against the USA?

Yes

How do you deal with being injured a second time? Does it throw you off?

The first injury to my thumb was obviously a little stupid, but things like that can always happen. It's obviously unfortunate that I'm going to have to wear [a brace] for six weeks. You also can't do much about the second injury in my thigh. I hope that's it in terms of injuries at this tournament.

The German team was highly praised after the Portugal match, then sharply criticized after the 2-2 draw with Ghana. Where's the middle between those two extremes?

Not everything in the Portugal game was good. We are realistic. It's okay to be critical of us. The Ghana match was a step back. There were a few things we didn't do very well there. We were too far away from one another and won far too few 50-50 balls. The final pass didn't come. I was too anxious in the match. There wasn't enough overall movement. But we also did a few things well: we came back from being down and played more courageously in the second half.

This Germany back four haven't played together very much and didn't play well when conceding the two goals against Ghana. How do you react to this criticism?

It came a little too quick for me. After the first game it was: "Super, a top-class result." And now after the second match it was suddenly all wrong. In the first match our defense worked well, and in the second match it wasn't so bad. It's clear when we don't play well offensively, the left and right backs can't be going forward non-stop.

You've made no secret of the fact that you prefer to play central defense. But you've also said that, if worst comes to worst, you'll gladly help out at right back. What do you like more about playing centrally than on the flank?

I feel more comfortable on the inside and enjoy playing centrally. I like to play against strikers and think that, from my size alone, I'm more of a central defender.

Do you consider your ability to play centrally or out wide a strength, because you're versatile? Or a curse because you then have to play outside?

It's both really. I'm not sad that I can play both positions. It's definitely a strength because then it gives me more opportunities to react if somebody is out of position. I can then immediately switch to the right or into the middle. I play where the coach puts me and try to help the team. You can say that it's a disadvantage for me, but overall I see it as very positive.

Are Germany's title ambitions still intact after the bump in the road against Ghana?

The goal is obviously still the title. It would be wrong to say otherwise. But obviously we know that there are enough other strong teams. We have a huge amount of work ahead of us in order to reach this goal.

There's a lot being discussed now about the ideal position for Philipp Lahm. Where do you see him as strongest?

In my opinion, along with Dani Alves, Philipp is the best right back in the world. But he also played really well in midfield at Bayern Munich. Philipp's strength is definitely his versatility. But the lineup is the coach's decision .

How would rate this World Cup in terms of the quality of the football?

I think it's really good. I don't think most people expected such high-tempo play and so many goals. There really aren't any so-called "minnows" anymore. Costa Rica is a good example of that, as are Chile and Uruguay. They fight and run for 90 minutes. You have to work for everything.

Your next opponent is the USA. What impressions do you have of coach Jürgen Klinsmann's players?

I've known [defender] Fabian Johnson for years. From him I've heard that they've improved enormously. They beat Ghana and nearly beat Portgual and are really tight-knit as a team. Everyone helps each other out. They're a difficult opponent. We have to create chances and exploit them against the US.

Have you already looked ahead to what Germany can expect in the Round of 16 after the USA match?

I think we would do well to think game-by-game. In the Round of 16 there are no small teams. We have to beat everyone we face. It doesn't matter if you meet an opponent in the Round of 16 or quarterfinal. At the end of the day you sort of have to beat everybody.

The World Cup is already your third tournament with the national team. Do you have a certain routine and have you been helping out the younger players?

There's already a huge change. Four years ago I got as much advice from the older players as I could. Now I am somewhat more experienced and can give tips to younger players like Erik Durm or Mathias Giner - that's totally normal. But the World Cup isn't routine for me. I'm still tingling before matches. It's a good tension. I'm still excited.

The interview was conducted by Joscha Weber.