display

Bucharest (dpa) - First he stroked the ball with the sole and turned backwards, then a successful heel trick followed directly in front of the bench by Joachim Löw.

There has never been any doubt about the strength and dynamism of Dortmund's Emre Can in defense work.

Now the Dortmund player showed unimagined technical qualities and the hoped-for forward drive in the 1-0 World Cup qualification in Romania.

With his second successful appearance as an emergency helper on the left side of defense, the 27-year-old played his way into the circle of safe EM candidates at exactly the right time.

«I thought that he played very well, especially in the game forward, because he then dynamically went from defense to midfield and tied the opponent.

He was very good on the ball, physically very strong, ”praised the national coach.

"The Emre was right, really strong on the left," added Löw about his currently only BVB professional.

It was just a chain of inconveniences that brought Can to the left wing at the start of the national soccer team in the European Championship year.

Robin Gosens has muscle problems.

Marcel Halstenberg had to leave after a backgammon game with the corona-infected Jonas Hofmann.

And Philipp Max turned out to be 6-0 in Spain as a safeguard for Leroy Sané on the outside as still too inexperienced internationally.

Can was suddenly the backup solution that Löw could rely on in a bottleneck.

display

Experience is a trump card of Can.

In the public eye, he is often under the radar.

The native of Frankfurt has played for several celebrity clubs in his career: Bayern Munich, Liverpool FC and Juventus Turin are in his footballer vita.

In the national team he made his debut against Poland (3-1) in the European Championship qualification in September 2015 - as a right defender, by the way.

In the Confed Cup victory in 2017, he was on the field in all five games.

His other tournament experience is modest.

In 2016 he was part of the EM squad.

When he had to play for the injured Sami Khedira in the defensive midfield center next to Bastian Schweinsteiger in the semifinals against France (0: 2), he showed one of the weakest of his 32 international matches.

He was injured in the 2018 World Cup debacle, but that was not a career disadvantage.

In Dortmund, too, his name comes up quickly when the fickle BVB team is looking for a stabilizer.

«What position do I see myself in?

I see myself as a central player, central defender, defensive midfielder, ”Can said before his first substitute on the left last week against Iceland (3-0).

In his favorite position as six, the competition in Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gündogan is huge.

"I will always give my all," Can added, followed by action.

display

As a central defender, he also hit an unpopular record.

In 2019 he saw the fastest red card in German international history in Estonia after 15 minutes.

He had to selflessly iron out a mistake by neighbor Niklas Süle.

Now the left version is a real EM option and brings back memories of Löw's successful project with Benedikt Höwedes as a retrained full-back at the 2014 World Cup triumph in Brazil.

«It was not planned that Emre would play on the left.

He did it well, very well, "said Loew.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210329-99-10798 / 2

Sports management around Löw

display

Team behind the team / support staff

National team schedule

National team schedule

National players from A to Z

Match record against 91 DFB opponents

DFB record player

DFB record shooters

display

Schedule of the EM 2021

FIFA World Ranking

Profile Löw

Coaching balance Löw

World Cup qualification schedule

Information on World Cup qualification

Current DFB squad

UEFA press kit for the Romania-Germany match