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Jamal Musiala trotted toward the sideline after his number was held up for a substitution, an extra bounce in his stride having brilliantly slotted home the fourth of Germany's goals in a commanding 7–1 victory over Curaçao.
Julian Nagelsmann greeted his dynamic star at the touchline, pulling him into a warm embrace before leaning in to whisper something in his ear.
It's doubtful that Jürgen Klopp's name came up during that intimate moment, but the mere possibility that it could says everything about the lasting influence of the former Liverpool boss.
Klopp's Words Carry (Too Much) Weight
One of the predictably chaotic storylines surrounding Germany ahead of its opening group fixture was Klopp's pre-match analysis alongside Thomas Müller. The RB Leipzig global head of soccer, who remains a popular candidate to eventually take charge of the national side, notably left Musiala out of his preferred starting lineup against Curaçao.
Klopp's reasoning was that Deniz Undav would be a stronger option from the start, while Musiala—who has struggled to find consistent form at Bayern Munich since returning from a broken leg and dislocated ankle last July—should be held in reserve to exploit Curaçao's tiredness later in the game.
Those remarks did not land well.
Former Germany captain Lothar Matthäus unleashed a fierce rebuke at Klopp and Müller, who never quite found common ground with Nagelsmann during their time together at Bayern Munich. "I respect their opinion, but I can't let it go unchallenged," he fumed. "I think it shows a lack of sensitivity. Jürgen Klopp, of all people, should know better. To have a successful World Cup, Germany needs Musiala's quality. That's why he needs to be trusted and given minutes on the pitch.
"Klopp's comments aren't exactly making Nagelsmann's job any easier," Matthäus pointedly noted. "I'd love to know what Klopp would have said if a pundit had suggested he drop one of his key players before a big Champions League match. That kind of interference doesn't sit well, especially among fellow coaches."
The backlash to this perceived slight was so intense that Klopp felt obliged to issue a public apology. Musiala made sure he would put such commentary to rest on the pitch.
Musiala Justifies His Selection
Against a disciplined opponent set up with the clear aim of stifling Germany's attack, the ability to dribble becomes essential. Few players in world soccer possess that gift more naturally than Musiala.
The elusive attacker is a slippery handful, constantly shifting his lanky frame with a deceptively low center of gravity to throw defenders off balance.
It was that knack for repeatedly beating his marker that helped him register a touch inside Curaçao's penalty area once every six minutes on the pitch. A pair of brave blocks denied him in the opening half, but he burst into the second period with renewed intensity, darting into the box once more before finding the bottom corner just 70 seconds after the restart.
Whether by design or coincidence, there was a certain poetic justice in Nagelsmann replacing Musiala with Klopp's favored Undav, who also got on the scoresheet as Curaçao's dream World Cup debut turned increasingly grim. Still, the spirited underdogs made sure Germany—and Nagelsmann—didn't emerge from the match entirely untroubled.
15 Minutes of Embarrassment Keeps Klopp Talk Alive
Ola Blou. https://t.co/cPWiOirziU pic.twitter.com/nrBbGMRwj8
The modern game may no longer allow for the vast gulf in quality that once defined World Cup mismatches. This Curaçao squad is far from a collection of part-timers—in fact, more than half of the starting XI against Germany compete in top-flight football.
However, to describe this contest as anything other than a classic David vs. Goliath encounter would be a serious misjudgment.
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has a longer international career than the entire nation of Curaçao has existed as a footballing entity. By the time the island played its first officially recognized international in 2011 following the dissolution of the Netherlands Antilles, Neuer had already earned 21 caps and featured at a World Cup.
The starting XI Nagelsmann called upon for Sunday's group stage opener carried a combined transfer valuation of $680 million, according to FotMob. Curaçao's was $18 million—roughly one third of the value of Malick Thiaw, Germany's fifth-choice center back.
This is a team accustomed to booking their own flights and collecting their own luggage, one that eats at hotel buffets rather than with private chefs and openly laughed off the idea that FIFA security would be necessary. "Just being here is already our World Cup win," is a phrase team coordinator Wouter Jansen has repeated on multiple occasions.
So when Livano Comenencia, an FC Zürich right back filling in at midfield for his country, drew Curaçao level in the 21st minute against the four-time world champions, it stood as a breathtaking moment in World Cup history.
Germany would surge back to win convincingly, but the 15 minutes between Comenencia's equalizer and Nico Schlotterbeck's header that restored the Europeans' lead was a quarter of an hour of genuine anxiety for Nagelsmann and the nation.
The shadow of Klopp won't be dispelled by a single victory—however dominant—over the tournament's biggest underdog. But it did offer a moment of vindication for Musiala, at the very least.