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Former Germany goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand has come to Manuel Neuer's defense following public criticism of his performance in the 2-1 loss to Ecuador at the World Cup.
The 40-year-old Neuer returned to the national squad for the tournament but appeared shaky at times. Hoffenheim's Oliver Baumann had been solid during the qualifiers before Neuer reclaimed the starting spot in the weeks leading up to the World Cup.
Hildebrand stated that those fixating on whether Neuer reacted quickly enough to Ecuador's winning goal were overlooking mistakes made by other German players.
"Everyone is looking for someone to blame again," Hildebrand wrote on Instagram.
He added that he couldn't comprehend headlines proclaiming a "goalkeeper error" from Neuer.
"I'm telling you, you all have no idea. Now Neuer has to be the idiot. This truly disgusts me," the former custodian further commented.
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