It's not Tah to blame, but the lack of guts: Kimmich couldn't find penalty takers

For years, Germany's greatest strength was never just talent. It was mentality.

No matter the opponent or the occasion, there was always a belief that the four-time world champions would embrace the biggest moments rather than shy away from them. That reputation, however, appears to have vanished.

Following Germany's dramatic World Cup exit to Paraguay on penalties in the Round of 32, Bild has revealed astonishing details from inside the German camp that paint a worrying picture of a team seemingly lacking the winning mentality that once defined an entire footballing nation.

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According to the German newspaper, captain Joshua Kimmich struggled to find a sixth penalty taker during the shootout after Paraguay unexpectedly handed Germany a lifeline.

Antonio Sanabria had fired wide before Manuel Neuer brilliantly denied Gustavo Gomez's teammate Fabian Balbuena, leaving the score level at 3-3 and swinging the momentum back in Germany's favour. Rather than filling the squad with confidence, however, the dramatic turnaround reportedly created panic.

Bild claims Kimmich approached four different teammates, only to be turned down every time. The players said to have declined responsibility were Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown and Malick Thiaw.

While the younger Brown and Thiaw could perhaps point to their lack of experience, Goretzka's reported refusal has generated the biggest debate. A midfielder with more than 70 international appearances, almost 350 Bundesliga matches and years of Champions League experience would normally be expected to shoulder responsibility in the defining moment of a World Cup.

According to the report, Kimmich even asked Goretzka twice. With no volunteers left, Tah stepped forward despite reportedly never having taken a competitive penalty in his professional career. The ending could hardly have been crueller.

Earlier in extra time, Tah thought he had scored what would have been the winning goal, only for it to be ruled out after a controversial foul was given on Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill.

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Minutes later, he sent Germany's sixth penalty soaring over the crossbar, sealing Paraguay's famous victory.

"Tah is the tragic figure," Bild wrote. "But why did he have to take the penalty in the first place? Because several players avoided taking responsibility. Unlike them, he accepted the enormous pressure. Unfortunately for him, and for Germany, he missed."

The newspaper concluded that the penalty shootout merely exposed a problem that had been evident throughout the tournament.

"It wasn't only during the shootout that it became clear this team lacks the absolute winning mentality. But that was the moment everyone could see it most clearly."

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Kimmich refused to discuss the reported events in detail afterwards, but the Germany captain accepted where the blame lay.

"Who is responsible? We, the players," he said. "Not the coach, not the referee, not the media. Only us. We are the only ones to blame."

For German football, the episode evoked painful memories of the 2012 Champions League final, when several Bayern Munich players reportedly declined to take penalties against Chelsea. On that occasion, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer stepped up to score before Bastian Schweinsteiger missed the decisive kick.

Fourteen years later, another generation of German footballers appears to have been haunted by the same fear - only this time, it happened on the biggest stage of all.

WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE

Round of 32

Sunday

South Africa - Canada 1-0 (0-0)

/Eustaquio 90+2/

Monday

Brazil - Japan 2-1 (0-1)

/Casemiro 56, Martinelli 90+5 - Sano 29/

Germany - Paraguay 3-4 on penalties (1-1)

/Havertz 54 - Enciso 42/

Tuesday

Netherlands - Morocco 2-3 on penalties (1-1)

/Gakpo 72 - Diop 90+1/

20.00: (3.50) Ivory Coast (3.55) Norway (2.10)

00.00: (1.30) France (5.80) Sweden (9.00)

Wednesday

04.00: (2.25) Mexico (2.95) Ecuador (3.85)

19.00: (1.30) England (5.20) Dr Congo (11.0)

23.00: (2.15) Belgium (3.25) Senegal (3.75)

Thursday

03.00: (1.43) USA (4.60) B&H (8.50)

22.00: (1.32) Spain (5.25) Austria (10.0)

Friday

02.00: (1.95) Portugal (3.40) Croatia (4.10)

06.00: (1.95) Switzerland (3.45) Algeria (4.00)

21.00: (3.15) Australia (2.95) Egypt (2.55)

Saturday

01.00: (1.17) Argentina (7.50) Cape Verde (16.0)

04.30: (1.70) Colombia (3.60) Ghana (5.50)

***odds are subject to change***