Pascal Groß Reflects on Germany's Penalty Shoot-Out Disappointment

Pascal Groß watched it all unfold from the sidelines.

Germany’s penalty shoot-out slipped away, the DFB team beaten after 120 tense minutes had finished 1-1. As the spot-kicks went beyond the first five takers, TV cameras caught Joshua Kimmich desperately searching for more volunteers. The pressure grew, the line of willing shooters shrank.

Leon Goretzka declined. That pushed Jonathan Tah into the spotlight as Germany’s sixth taker. He stepped up and smashed the ball over – the first missed penalty of his career. The momentum, and with it Germany’s hopes, went with it.

Groß, though, stayed where he was. Julian Nagelsmann never called his name.

“I was prepared for this scenario, but I don't want to rake it over now,” Groß told kicker when asked about his potential role in the shoot-out. The subject, he explained, never resurfaced with his national coach. “No, there was no conversation. It hurt him enormously too, of course, everyone was devastated,” Groß said.

That chapter closed, another disappointment followed on the biggest stage.

At the World Cup in North America, Groß’s role shrank to the margins. He played just 17 minutes, coming off the bench in the group match against Ecuador. After the tournament, a change in the dugout brought a change in direction. New head coach Jürgen Klopp left the 35-year-old out of his squad.

Given Groß’s age, the omission raised few eyebrows, even though he had not officially drawn a line under his international career at that point. In truth, his mind was already made up.

“After the World Cup, with a bit of distance, I had already decided that the matter was over for me,” he admitted. There was no showdown, no emotional farewell talk. “I did not have a conversation with the head coach. For me, not being nominated is not a problem.”

So where does that leave Pascal Groß now?

On paper, his Germany record reads 19 caps and one goal. Modest numbers for a player of his intelligence and consistency. On the south coast of England, though, he looks anything but finished.

Brighton have launched into the new Premier League season with real purpose, heading into the international break sitting third in the table. At the heart of it: Groß, orchestrating, creating, deciding games.

In just five league matches, he has produced three goals and four assists – outstanding figures for a midfielder, and a reminder that while his time with the DFB team may be over, his form is anything but fading.