Germany maintain winning run

Germany continued their impressive winning run by securing a 2-1 victory over World Cup co-hosts United States in their final pre-tournament friendly in Chicago. This ninth consecutive win bolsters Germany's confidence as they aim to rebound from disappointing early exits in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The four-time world champions started strongly, taking an early lead in the second minute. Kai Havertz capitalized on space in the box to head home Joshua Kimmich's free kick. However, the U.S. gradually found their footing and equalized in the 37th minute through a powerful volley from Antonee Robinson, after a defensive header from Germany's Jonathan Tah.

Germany regained control in the second half. Leroy Sane, who replaced the injured Lennart Karl in the starting lineup, scored the decisive goal in the 57th minute with a precise shot from 12 yards. The pace of the game slowed in the latter stages as both teams made substitutions.

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We were superior in the 90 minutes, we managed to control the game very well, especially having a lot of the ball in the last third of them. It is something that we have to improve and over time we have been improving.

In other warm-up matches, Portugal secured a hard-fought 2-0 win against Chile in an ill-tempered game that saw both teams finish with 10 men. Goncalo Guedes opened the scoring, and Bruno Fernandes added a second. Cristiano Ronaldo started for Portugal, extending his international appearance record to 227.

Belgium also enjoyed a dominant 5-0 victory over 10-man Tunisia. Romelu Lukaku made his return from injury, contributing an assist as Leandro Trossard, Charles De Ketelaere, Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio, and Nicolas Raskin all found the net. Coach Rudi Garcia expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, emphasizing their defensive capabilities alongside their attacking prowess.

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We wanted a good performance in front of our fans. It is a good preparation for the World Cup, we know this team can do great things. We are not just an attacking team, we are a team that defends with 11 (players) too.