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Is the Mario Gotze experiment over for Germany?

Paul Gilham / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Germany's first shot on goal came in the 47th minute, when Mario Gotze drove the ball straight at Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. It came after Gotze shifted out wide after failing to impose himself at the centre-forward position in the first half. And in the 66th minute, Gotze made way for Andre Schurrle, an admission from manager Joachim Low that perhaps this experiment is over.

Despite coming off an anonymous season at Bayern Munich, Gotze entered Euro 2016 as Low's preferred option up front. He appeared to have Low's unconditional trust. Gotze, after all, scored the goal that won Germany the 2014 World Cup. Then 22, Gotze had lost his spot in the starting XI, only to emerge from the substitutes' bench to deliver the extra-time winner.

"Gotze is a miracle boy, a boy wonder," Low said at the time. "He can play any position up front."

Related: Goalless stalemate edges Germany, Poland towards Round of 16

The past two years at club level hardly spawned any improvements in Gotze's game. He became a casualty of Pep Guardiola's system, and only started in 11 Bundesliga matches last season.

One particular moment proved Gotze's limitations as a false nine. Julian Draxler sent a tempting ball into the box for the 5-foot-8 German, who could only offer an awkward header over the bar. There were several more crosses that went begging in the area, and other plays that went backwards instead of forwards, as Gomez looked on from the bench.

There just didn't seem to be a plan in place. And if there was, it wasn't working.

Low explained after the match that he omitted Gomez "because the Polish central defence is strong in the air, so I wanted low passing with Gotze."

Low added: "Group-stage matches are attrition battles. I expect more openings in the knock-out stages."

Maybe the manager is letting on that Gomez will get playing time eventually. The Besiktas striker isn't in the Germany squad on name alone. Gomez, unlike Gotze, had one of the best seasons of his life in Turkey, finishing the season as the Super Lig's top scorer with 26 goals.

With so much creativity in the squad, Gomez is the ideal outlet. Draxler, Mesut Ozil, and Thomas Muller are a tricky trio to track, floaters in a fluid system, and with so much movement between them, there's less of a chance of Gomez getting lost in the mix than Gotze.

Firing just three shots on target against Poland, Germany could stand to bear more fruit with a direct influence like Gomez in the starting lineup, a north star for this team's group of wandering playmakers.

Once Gomez did enter the fray, Germany looked more likely to score. Die Mannschaft simply played with more urgency.

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