by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Germany captain Joshua Kimmich was visibly moved as he stepped onto the pitch for his 100th international appearance - and spotted a familiar face among the player escorts.
The 30-year-old Bayern Munich star was stunned to see his son, Lenny, waiting to walk out alongside him for the UEFA Nations League semifinal against Portugal. "What? You?" Kimmich exclaimed, embracing his son.
As Kimmich stood for the national anthem with "100" stitched on his training jacket, the stadium's video board showed his wife, Lina, in tears, flanked by their other three children. "It won't surprise you, this was an overwhelmingly emotional moment," Kimmich said after the match. "I was completely caught off guard." The German Football Association had kept the plan secret from both Kimmich and the public.
But the match itself was less celebratory. Despite taking an early lead, Germany slumped to a 2-1 defeat.
"We might have shown our poorest game in the past year," Kimmich admitted. "We didn't prove that we desperately wanted to win. I didn't see the winner's mentality we've talked about."
Germany's sluggish performance - described in local media as a return to "old-fashioned football" - came as a setback after head coach Julian Nagelsmann had framed the Nations League as a key milestone in Germany's rebuild. The team was without key players, including Jamal Musiala, Antonio Rudiger and Kai Havertz, but Kimmich made no excuses.
"We lacked intensity and energy," he said. "Even after scoring, we played worse. That's something we need to fix quickly."
Nagelsmann also acknowledged the shortcomings. "We didn't show our full potential today," the coach said. "We're on equal footing with the best teams, but we need to prove it every time we step on the pitch."
Despite the disappointment, both Kimmich and Nagelsmann framed the loss as a necessary learning moment. Germany will next play the loser of the France-Spain semifinal in Stuttgart - a match Nagelsmann labeled "a crucial step" toward World Cup qualification.
Reflecting on his own journey, Kimmich offered perspective for younger players. "I wasn't a high-flyer when I was young. Everything I've achieved has come from hard work and persistence." ■