Germany’s Mats Hummels criticizes team tactics after loss to Mexico

Germany certainly wasn’t expecting to lose its World Cup opener to Mexico on Sunday, but that is precisely what happened, and it seems to have rattled their camp a bit.

Take Germany defender Mats Hummels, for instance. After the 1-0 defeat, he was openly critical of the team’s tactics, stating that they were too attacking and left the defense vulnerable to counterattacks.

Hummels pin-points why Germany lost: "If 7 or 8 players attack, then it's clear the offensive force is greater than the defensive stability. That's what I often talk about internally, to no affect. Our cover wasn't good, too often it was just Jerome and I at the back." #MEXGER

— Bundesliga_reporter (@rylandjames) June 17, 2018

Hummels and fellow defender Jerome Boateng were frequently left to defend against two- or three-on-one counters in the second half, with only Mexico’s inability to finish them off preventing Germany from losing by a more lopsided scoreline. Hummels hints that this has been a concern of his for a while, but it’s certainly a major statement to take these criticisms public after a World Cup game. Manager Joachim Low looks like he has a mess to clean up.