 Sepp Herberger compared Mai's playing style to that of 1930s player Andreas Kupfer but also appreciated his solidity and straightness.In the 1954 World Cup Final Mai faced Sandor Kocsis who had scored no less than 11 goals up to that game, yet he failed to score in the final as Mai performed a rigid marking job on Kocsis.Mai was an outspoken player who also did not shy away from stating his opinion towards Herberger.