"We did not kill them off," offered German boss Joachim Low after his charges won 1-0 at Wembley tonight.
A header from Arsenal's Per Mertesacker won the game six minutes before half-time consigning the three Lions to its second defeat at home in five days, following on from their 2-0 loss on Friday to Chile.
"It was a source of joy to win at Wembley," he added. "We deserved to win and missed a few chances, in particular in the second half. It was a good performance, I'm quite satisfied.
"As for 2014, I'm quietly confident," he said.
"The players did themselves credit.
"Per Mertesacker is a pilar of strength for us. He is known for his stability and since moving to England with Arsenal, he is a better player, more agile and better at the distribution of the ball.
The Bender brothers did a great job, closing down the space. Sven did well keeping an eye on Rooney in particular.
"I'll go to the World Cup draw on December 6th with a sense of excitement and curiosity.
"We won nine of 10 qualifiers, showing determination against crunch games.
"Weidenfeller was not tested tonight. Only Townsend got close and the ball hit the post. I don't have to make a decision about goalkeepers now. I'll judge him on the training season and how he jells with the rest of the squad.
"Our games have become more stable. We are pressing well.
"But our final third approach play needs some work," he concluded.