FIFA World Cup 2018: Germany's Timo Werner admits Mexicans played great

Moscow: Timo Werner, the center-forward for Germany's national soccer team, told EFE at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium - where the defending World Cup champions lost to Mexico 1-0 on Sunday in their first Group F clash - that their rivals "played a great game, particularly in the first half."

"Mexico was a great team today, and they beat us because we committed two or three more mistakes than in past games," said Werner, 22, who plays for Red Bull Leipzig and who last year was the top scorer in the FIFA Confederations Cup, also held in Russia.

"But that's not an excuse, because Mexico is a great team and we knew that. They did very well. In the second half, they focused basically on hanging on to the 1-0, but above all their first half was really good," the forward - currently making his debut in a World Cup tourney - told EFE, although he is not giving up in Germany's quest to defend the title it won four years ago.

"Of course, we can still win the World Cup. We're Germany and we want to win all the games, that's clear. Things like this can happen, you can lose a game. But now you have to pick yourself up as quickly as possible and find the best solution," Werner said.

"It's better to lose the first game than the fourth or fifth. Spain lost its first match in the 2016 South Africa World Cup and ended up being the champions. Now, what we have to do is win the next one, against Sweden," he said.