No, thank you South Africa, from the rest of us.

In sport here, it’s win or go home.  When you capture a championship, there’s a big parade and every little thing each player does is on SportsCenter for weeks afterwards.

To come in second, however, is complete failure.  For all that anyone remembers of your season, you may as well have finished last.  Never mind a consolation game between two losers.  If someone went dancing through the streets of New York or LA screaming, “We’re number three!  We’re number three!,” people would think the happy fool was off his nut and, like as not, call social services.

Thankfully, soccer fans in other parts of the globe treat the World Cup more like the Olympics than the Super Bowl.  And rightly so.  Where is the glory in winning a championship if the teams you overcame were not worth remembering?  Thus, coming into their match today,  Germany and Uruguay carried the banners of thirty teams who struggled in admirable but vain pursuit of the World Cup Trophy.

The linesman refuses to help Joachim Low discover who stole his 'lucky' sweater.

A young German squad, led by a maverick coach, came to South America to find not much was expected of them, compared to past sides led by such legends as Lothar Mattheus, Gerd Mueller and Franz Beckenbauer.  Although, after scoring four goals in each of three matches, including startlingly dominant elimination round dismantlings of both England and Argentina, those expectations quickly rose.

Before defeating Germany, Spain had looked very sluggish in most of their encounters and were thought to be lucky to have reached the last four.  In controlling the daunting young Germans, the Spanish reminded everyone of just how strong they were, even when not at their best.  Thanks to die Mannschaft’s performance in the matches leading up to the semi-final, no one can claim that the European champions had an easy route to the title match.

The mercurial Uruguayans and their youthful striker, Luis Suarez, had a tournament which will not soon be forgotten, for reasons both good and bad.  The handball at the end of the quarter-final with Ghana, along with the brazen pride shown in its aftermath will spark debate for a year and a day at least.  Still, as the fifth and last qualifier from South America, their spot only secured after a two legged tie with Costa Rica, Uruguay traveled a long, hard road to South Africa.

The Suarez incident likely will but shouldn’t be the defining moment of their competition.  This squad also deserve to be remembered for having the courage and confidence to open up against a strong Mexican side, going for the win to champion the group, when a pedestrian draw would have seen both sides safely through.  They should also be celebrated for pushing the Dutch to the death, after the game with Ghana, doing so without the potent fourty-nine goal threat of the precocious Suarez.

FIFA, for its part, is happy to provide a relatively meaningless game at this point in the tournament.  After overdosing soccer fans with fifty-six matches in just nineteen days, to start the competition, the weaning process then began in the winding down to the final.  Consisting of far fewer contests with ever longer intervals between, the sudden lack of supply has left severely addicted fans with an epic case of the football jones.  This match is the methadone, administered by Herr Dr. Blatter, to see us through to tomorrow’s (hopefully) exciting finish.

Historically, too, the consolation matches have been very entertaining affairs.  Neither side has anything at stake, beyond their pride, and are thus free to open up, express themselves and show everything of which they are capable.

Today’s game certainly began in that tradition.  The early play was up and down the pitch.  Dennis Aogo, one of several reserve players handed a World cup start by Joachim Löw, was a little over-enthusiastic.  He narrowly escaped a straight red card, coming in hard, studs up on Diego Perez.  Happily, the referee chose not to get too involved in the match.  On four minutes, Thomas Mueller found the net for Germany but was ruled offside.  Two proper calls in a row.  How refreshing.

On their first sustained attack, Uruguay earned a free kick from about twenty-five metres, directly in front of goal.  Diego Forlan’s first effort went off the elbow of Cacau, earning him a yellow card and Forlan a second unsuccessful try from ten metres closer.  Germany would then garner a series of corners in the Uruaguayan end.  Mesut Ozil sent one of them deep, to the far post, where Arne Friedrich would connect on a fade-away header that rebounded off the crossbar.

Müller steals the first kiss, as Germany goes in front early.

Certainly a busy opening 10 minutes.

Germany’s strategy was to attack down the left wing.  At eighteen minutes, they broke on a counter, with Bastien Schweinsteiger finding Marcel Jansen on the flank.  After penetrating almost to the touchline, Lukas Podolski’s understudy sent the ball back out to Schweini, beyond the box, mid-pitch.  The Bayern midfielder hit a low swerving shot which confused Fernando Muslera.  The keeper managed to get in front of  the missile but allowed it to carom straight out into the penalty area.  Thomas Müller, back from his harsh suspension, pounced onto the rebound and deposited it into the twine.  Germany one, Uruguay nil.

The Germans, emboldened by the gaffe, quickly tested the shaken netminder twice more but Muslera gave no further ground.  Uruguay regrouped, probing the German back line for weakness.  On twenty five minutes, a cross into Forlan for a half volley, was deflected away by Per Mertesacker and the ensuing corner cleared off the line by Friedrich.  Hans-Jörg Butt, in goal for Manuel Neuer, hadn’t yet had much to do.

Cavani is king of the world as Uruguay quickly level.

Uruguay, as always, refused to let up and, a moment later, broke on a counter.  Suarez, coming down the middle, found Edinson Cavani racing down the left.  Cavani outpaced the lanky Mertesacker and drilled a shot passed an onrushing Butt, into the far side netting.  Germany one, Uruguay one, with less than a half hour gone.  If only the final is played at this pace!

After Cavani’s strike, the skies over Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium opened up and the rain came down as heavily as the attacks on goal.  Both sides continued to be aggressive.  The linesmen were well exercised, raising their flags for offsides several times.  Then with less than five minutes to the break, Forlan put Suarez through on a diagonal run to the right.  Suarez curled back towards goal and released a laser that beat Butt (hehe, he said beat butt) but was just wide of the outside post.

At the other end, Schweinsteiger blasted an inviting free kick off the wall after Diego Lugano was booked for at first unintentionally and then intentionally handling the ball.  Soon after, Uruguay were able to launch one more raid into German territory but the score remained knotted at one at the half time whistle.

Forlan cuts into Germany, scissoring the ball into goal.

Early after the restart, the Germans dominated possession but had no joy.  Suddenly, the Uruguayans broke on a counterattack.  Edigio Arevalo sent a waist high ball into the top of the box towards a waiting Forlan.  The Atletico striker executed a perfect scissor kick to put the ball past a screened Hans-Jörg Butt.  The lead was short lived, though.  Minutes later, at the opposite end, Jerome Boateng crossed into the box and Marcel Jansen put his header past an awkward looking Muslera.

Jansen's kung fu is strong, though, and the goalward ball pulls Germany even.

Forlan’s goal, by the way, was his fifth of the tournament, drawing him level with Golden Boot contenders Wesley Sneijder and David Villa.  Ten minutes into the second half, the goal output had doubled.  Nor did it look like that would be the end of the deluge.

Shortly after the equaliser, Germany stormed up the pitch again, led by Boateng.  The Ghanian born defender fed the ball to Mesut Ozil on the left but the German of Turkish descent tried to dribble past two defenders rather than return the favour.  The attack fizzled and Uruguay went on the offensive.  Suarez unleashed a cannon to the far post, parried well by Butt.  Forlan couldn’t get everything behind another opportunity and Butt was up to the challenge, again.

Several more chances for both sides went either wide or over the bar.  Then Stephan Kiebling, on for Cacau, split a pair of defenders on the left side of the box, moved in and forced a tough save from Muslera with fifteen minutes remaining.

Khedira follows the bouncing ball...

Ozil continued to try to beat multiple defenders on the dribble.  He did it late against Spain, too.  His skill is a great thing to see and frightening on a German side.  Still, he must learn to use his teammates.

On eighty minutes, Ozil found himself in a situation wherein he had to pass the ball.  He took the corner kick and sent it into the box.  Uruguay was unable to clear and the ball pinballed to Sami Khedira, whose cross-net header sailed over an outstretched Muslera and nestled in the far upper ninety.  Germany three, Uruguay two was the score, with closing time fast approaching.

... and Muslera sings a sad tune.

As Ozil came off for the previously unused Serdar Tasci, the camera cut to a shot of Miroslav Klose.  The Bayern striker, tepid for club but talismanic for country, was declared fit before the match, after a back injury cast his chase of Ronaldo’s World Cup goal scoring record in doubt.  He did not play today, because the Germans, as is their wont, took the team route and granted several reserves the opportunity to shine, if only for a moment, on the world’s greatest stage.  Klose is thirty-two and, so, unlikely to be a canditate for Brazil in four years.  He has had a great World Cup career and, hopefully, will be content with having matched the great Gerd Müller’s tally before bowing out.

Uruguay became desperate in their assault on the German goal.  They rushed their efforts and Germany were able to handle matters easily.  With even more space opening up in the Uruguay rearguard, Kiebling blasted another chance, a very good one, which he wasted over the bar.

Next time, Basti may have to wait an extra day to collect his medal.

Then, at the death, Arne Friedrich served up a helping of karma to the Uruguayans.  As Suarez ran under an enticing long ball, the centre back wrestled him to the ground.  It wasn’t as severe an infraction as Suarez’ handball but Friedrich was booked by the official as Forlan stood over Uruguay’s last chance of the match.  His effort was heroic.  It curled over the wall and the outstretched right hand of Butt, before dipping towards goal.  Unfortunately, it struck the bar and bounded harmlessly away.  Ironically similar to the conclusion of the match versus Ghana, only with Uruguay this time on the short end of the stick, Forlan’s miss, like Asamoah Gyan’s spot kick, also off the crossbar, was the last act of a very dramatic contest.

The Uruguayans scrambled to set up a corner but the referee felt that it was time to get out of the rain and his shrill whistle, rather than the deeper peals of a bell, tolled the end of the South American’s surprising and event-filled World Cup run.

The final score was three to two for Germany and, despite an uncharacteristic lack of attention to defense, on the day, the Germans were once again the number three team at the world’s greatest tournament.  There will be people celebrating in the streets and good on ‘em, I say.

Both teams opened up from the start and went after the match throughout.  With much more at stake, that is not likely to be the case tomorrow.  Hopefully, though, Spain and the Netherlands will be bold enough to take some chances and treat us to a memorable final.  If that happens, today’s match will serve as a consolation for the players only and not for World Cup fans.

This year’s sweets started out with the England/USA tilt, which, although England started out well on Gerrard’s goal from Heskey, was unfortunately highlighted by Robert Green’s gaffe.  Effectively, the West Ham keeper put his finger in the frosting and ruined a perfectly good cake.  Portugal and Brazil then decided that their juicy looking encounter would be a stale, dry formality which would put both through to the elimination rounds.

An entry to the Final for one nation and the exit from the tournament for the other.

The dessert cart did come around after the group stages, when teams found themselves in do or die situations and had to go for it.  The aforementioned English turned out to be the first course in a German feast that continued against Argentina.  With four goals in each match, die Mannschaft set the World Cup kitchen afire.

The Dutch gave themselves a special treat, as well, upsetting the Brazilians before downing the sour-as-lemons Uruguayans.  Having reserved their seat at the final table, Bert van Marwijk’s side are prepared to sit back and enjoy a Heineken while Spain and Germany fight over the last chair.

Fans, whether partial to one nation or simply neutral, had sized up today’s  rematch of the Euro ’08 finalists as an epic battle between the best team in the tournament, the young Germans, and, perhaps the best side in the world, the Spaniards.  The latter had played their way through the competition thus far, more in the fashion of a classic Italian side, doing just enough to get the job done.  Meanwhile, this kinder, gentler version of a German football side, as evidenced by the ethnic diversity of the squad and the tragically hip fashion sense of the manager, were rampaging through South Africa like a Panzer division set loose on a daycare nursery.

For most, this was the match that would produce the champion, as the waiting Nederlanders are not rated as highly as these two sides.  If that was to be the case, then maybe the cherry would be eaten a little early this year.  The question was, by whom?

It’s long been acknowledged and now reconfirmed, in South Africa, that one of the greatest strengths of German football is their match preparation.  Despite their hiccup against Serbia, largely aided by an overly protective Spanish referee, they have come into each match with a clear, executable plan to dispatch their opponent.  The pre-match scuttlebutt today was that Joachim Low would look to take advantage of the forays of rearguardsmen Gerard Pique, who at least has the sense to race back quickly when an attack fails, and Sergio Ramos, who doesn’t.

Much has been said about Low but del Bosque is subtle and likes to operate quietly, in the background

Low’s opposite number, Vicente del Bosque, while not at home in the spotlight, is possessed of a little tactical guile himself.  The proof is in his sudden change in policy with regard to Fernando Torres.  With the Liverpool striker still recovering from a knee operation, he only used him as a substitute in the opening defeat to Switzerland.  Since then, however, he has started Torres, insisting that, regardless of his struggles, he was of great value to the side and his place was assured.

Until the Germans loomed on the horizon, that is.  Suddenly, del Bosque became more cagey on the matter, stating publicly that he would have to consider all his options, of which he has many.  That, of course is the beauty in his abrupt shift of policy.

The Basque, Fernando Llorente could replace Torres, giving the Spaniards some unusual height in the box, where they are sorely overmatched by the German defenders.  The Barca youngster, Pedro might come in and strike with the speed and venom of a cobra.  Or the manager could elect to play with five midfielders and David Villa as the lone striker.

Should del Bosque go that route, there would be further choices to consider.  Cesc Fabregas, despite an injured shoulder would be available to sit in the hole behind Villa, leaving Spain’s regular corps of midfielders, Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta intact.  Conversely, Iniesta might be utilised in the hole and either David Silva or Jesus Navas, both well rested, could wreak havoc on the wing.

Don’t forget, the Spanish boss had one further option.  He could still start Torres.  A simple statement in the media had thrown a wrench in the German brain trust’s plans and left them with a myriad of possibilities to consider.  Del Bosque’s sly gambit showed the value of a good manager deep in a major tournament such as this.  Of course, when the match finally got under way, it became up to the players to execute their gameplans and successfully adapt to the tactics of their opponents.

To begin, del Bosque opted for the Pedro plan, sitting down the ineffective Torres and looking to expose the lumbering giants, Arne Friedrich and Per Mertesacker, in the German central defence and Jerome Boateng at left back.   In place of the unfairly suspended Thomas Mueller, Low, meanwhile, penciled in Piotr Trochowski, smaller, quicker but also potentially lethal from distance.

Terms of battle were set very early as Germany were content to work the ball around at the back and an aggressive Sergio Ramos won it away for Spain, who immediately settled into their game of kick about.  Six minutes in, Pedro made his first contribution, slotting a ball into David Villa, who shot the ball into the chest of an onrushing Manuel Neuer.

Carlos Puyol's defence was as super powered as his offence would later prove to be.

Spain earned their first corner and displayed their future intent in that area, working it short to change the angle of entry.   Iniesta put in a low, hard driven ball, which Puyol headed over the bar.  First cut to Spain.

Germany redoubled their defensive efforts and became more effective at keeping the Spaniards to the outside.  La Furia began to look to Xabi Alonso for long balls into the box and Ramos and Joan Capdevilla crossing in on the flanks.  Mertesacker was solid in the centre of the box, heading clear attempt after attempt.

Midway through the half, Germany began to send out sorties on the  counterattack, looking to capitalise on the forward position of the Spanish fullbacks.  Lukas Podolski and Trochowski both streaked down the outside looking to work balls inside but Mesut Ozil,  in the middle, was struggling with his touch and Iker Casillas wasn’t really tested.  Piquet was not venturing forward, as is his usual wont and Busquets and Alonso were hastening back in support with every German push.  Perhaps it was del Bosque, who had done his homework and come to the match more prepared.

Just past the half hour, Trochowski displayed his long range arsenal, drilling a low shot towards the near post, which Casillas scrambled to knock wide for a corner.

Schweinsteiger and Germany couldn't find their feet against Spain.

In the final 5 minutes, Ozil had a pair of chances, mishandling both and feeling the second, well into extra time, should have drawn a penalty.  While he was knocked down, he had already overrun the ball and wasted the chance, something the referee was well positioned to see.

At half time, with neither side breaking through, the expected fireworks were absent but the match was definitely on a slow boil.  Spain took most of their corners short, respecting the height and discipline of the German defenders.  Pique continued to spend the half very conservatively, rarely venturing forward and always in position to deal with the potent counterattack of the white and black.

Early in the second stanza, a rejuvenated Pedro began to go to work on Jerome Boateng, crossing and dribbling in towards the box.  Nothing came of his work as the cross was too long and Xabi Alonso shot wide on the pass at the end of the younger man’s run.  Joachim Low had seen enough, though, and Marcell Jansen was hurried onto the pitch for the overmatched left back.

David Villa can't connect with Iniesta's beautiful delivery

Alonso continued to try long shots and passes inside until, with a change of pace, he worked it to Iniesta darting in from the left, the latter sending a quick ball across the goal mouth that Villa couldn’t quite poke, lunging in too late.

It’s never advisable to waste chances against Germany and Jansen almost made the Spanish pay.  His cross ricocheted off Ramos, to Podolski, who thundered it over the bar.  Tony Kroos came on for Trochowski, as Low looked for more offensive pressure against the Spaniards.  Kroos trying to oblige, nearly put the Germans ahead with a hard shot from the right that Casillas was equal to.  Soon after, he sent a tantalising cross into the box, from the other side, but Piquet’s head found it first.

The two substitutions to this point were telling about the direction of the match.  Obviously, Low was uncomfortable with his side’s lack of ability to get behind the Spanish.  Del Bosque, on the other hand, was patient with his strategy, feeling a goal would surely come as long as his central players held their ground and defended well, off the ball.   That is something that goes unnoticed about Spain, since they are rarely without possession or feel the need to respect the other sides attackers.  When it is necessary, though, they are up to the task, as they have shown today.

Puyol's header is...

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, as they say, and, as with Germany,  it isn’t wise to forego opportunities when playing against Spain, either.  After the European champions had earned a corner, Xavi sent in a perfect delivery which Puyol, this time, put paid to, giving Spain the lead on seventy minutes.

It was a rare corner into the box and the Germans were asleep at the switch.  The curly haired Barcelona captain had a free run at the ball from ten yards away and punished, severely, the one German mistake of the match.

Germany, down and forced to press, began to harry the Spanish box.  Two times however, Ozil cut short the passing and lost the ball trying to beat multiple defenders.

... goalbound and...

With ten minutes remaining, Low used his last substitution to send on Mario Gomez for Sami Khedira and del Bosque immediately countered with his first change, bringing on Torres for Villa.

Then, twice in succession, the Germans fell victim to quick counters but Friedrich did yeoman work to keep his side alive.  The second effort was greatly assisted by Pedro’s reluctance to pass across to a wide open Villa.  The Barca youngster soon rued that selfish choice, as he was sat down in favour of the new Man City man, Silva.  The quiet old fox, del Bosque, had his lead and wasn’t going to let the inexperience of youth throw it away.

With no options but to attack, Germany sustained the pressure for several minutes with no joy.  It almost made you wonder what would have happened, had they opened up sooner?  With less than five minutes remaining, the Spaniards relocated their short passing game and the Germans struggled to win back the ball, which effectively answered that question.

In extra time, Germany’s desperation betrayed them as Gomez had a chance to send in Ozil freely but thundered what should have been a lightly touched pass.  With so little time and so much at stake, patience and calm were easily forgotten.

... the Spaniards are bound for the Final.

Spain ably kept Germany away for the final moments and showed tremendous class by not celebrating wildly upon reaching their first World Cup Final.  Instead, every Spaniard found a German counterpart and, in a great show of respect, offered a sympathetic hand.

So, la Roja are through to meet the Dutch, meaning that there will, at last, be an eighth World Cup champion.

This match didn’t turn out to be the icing on the cake many had thought it would be but it was still entertaining and, happily, controversy free.   With creativity abounding on both sides in Sunday’s final, we’ll have to hope against hope that both sides choose to play an open game and decide a champion through skill and showmanship.

And so it was today in Germany’s quarter final clash with Diego Maradona’s Argentina. With just 3 minutes gone, the 20 year-old from the small town of Pähl in Bavaria rose to glance Bastian Schweinsteiger’s free-kick beyond the haplessly stranded Sergio Romero to send his country into raptures.

Mueller heads past Romero

Before the match, many (German fans included) believed Germany’s big moment in this World Cup had come with their thrashing of England. Maradona’s Albiceleste wouldn’t be so easy. Messi, Tevez and co would bring Joachim Löw’s young team down to earth they thought. Mueller set Germany on the way to proving that theory wrong with Germany’s fastest ever World Cup goal.

Throughout the remaining 42 minutes of the 1^st half Argentina rarely looked like getting back into the match. Whilst they controlled the majority of possession, Germany worked tirelessly off the ball to deny space to their attacking players. Schweinsteiger and Khedira did an especially good job picking up Messi and denying him the chance to operate between Germany’s midfield and defence. That, coupled with Argentina’s lack of natural width, meant there was no way through. A tame shot at Neuer by Higuaín and a rightly disallowed offside goal (again from Higuain), were the best the Albiceleste could muster.

Messi - frustrated

As well as being well-organised defensively, Germany were also a threat going forward. Mid-way through the 1^st half it was Müller again who pounced on an error by Gabriel Heinze to burst into the box and lay it off to Miroslav Klose, who should have sent the Germans in 2-0 at the break, but he wastefully fired it over.

With the score still at 1-0 at the start of the 2^nd half, Argentina fancied their chances and dominated the opening 20 minutes. A powerful Carlos Tevez shot was blocked on 54 minutes by the face of Per Mertesacker. From the resulting corner, Manuel Neuer had to parry a Di Maria cross to safety. Argentina had further chances through Messi and Higuaín in the 63^rd minute but, as they began to throw more men forward, Germany looked more and more dangerous on the counter.

Just as in their previous match, Germany grabbed the killer goal just when their opponents looked most like scoring. Again, Müller was involved. Having been brought down by Otamendi 25 yards away from the Argentina goal, Müller admirably stayed alert to swivel on the ground and stab the ball into the path of the onrushing Lukas Podolski. The Pole was left with little to do but roll the ball across to his ‘countryman’ Klose to tap into the back of the net. Cue delirium on the streets of Germany, a country today bathed in 37 degree heat. It would be interesting to know how many cases of heatstroke this goal, alone, caused among the many outdoor fan parks across the land. It was the strike that gave the Germans the genuine belief that victory was theirs.

The party didn’t end there however. With Argentina desperately throwing men forward in their increasingly hopeless attempts to salvage the match, Germany broke forward twice more to pick at the gaping holes in the South Americans’ defence. Both goals were similar to Germany’s 2nd, as they took advantage of slack defending on Argentina’s right side. First, man of the match Schweinsteiger slalomed brilliantly toward the byline to cut the ball back for Arne Friedrich to tap home. Then, as if not to be outdone, Mesut Özil rounded off proceedings with a touch of genius, expertly standing the ball up at the far post for Klose to volley home his 2nd goal of the match. A more sublime, perfectly weighted pass you couldn’t wish to see, Klose didn’t have to break stride, he barely even had to move, before stroking it past Romero.

Klose - World Cup legend

The final goal capped a stunning team performance by Germany. Once more, Joachim Löw came up with the perfect tactical plan to foil his opposition. Once again they were strong in defence and devastating on the counter attack. Schweinsteiger, in particular, marshalled his team expertly, keeping the shackles on Messi for much of the game but also getting forward to support in attack. The goal also brought Klose’s World Cup goal tally to 14, level with Gerd Müller and 1 short of Ronaldo’s all time record. All eyes will be on him in Germany’s semi-final against Vicente del Bosque’s (so far) unimpressive and beatable-looking Spain outfit. Unfortunately, they won’t be on Thomas Müller, who was harshly yellow-carded for an accidental handball in the 1st half and will be suspended.

Whether they win or lose against the Spaniards, one thing is certain: just like in 2006, Germany’s young team has made their countrymen, from the Chancellor to the salt of the earth fan, immensely proud, and given them at least one more big party to look forward to.

England fans should feel a bit better also – at least Capello’s men mustered one goal!

Polands best player captaining Germany

From remarkably similar families Podolski and Klose can each claim to have sporting excellence running through their veins. Klose’s mother, Barbara Jez, was a member of the Polish national women’s handball team and his father, Josef Klose, played for local side Odra Opole. Nineteen seventy-eight signalled the end of Josef’s time in Poland, as he refused to be part of the Communist regime, taking the escape route offered to him by AJ Auxerre of France. The family later settled in West Germany, granted Aussiedler status, due to Josef’s ethnic German heritage. Miroslav himself claims to be “neither German nor Polish” and, instead, follows a rather diplomatic line by declaring himself a European. His father, however, remains less discreet, stating that he does not want to be regarded as Polish, claiming his family’s success is down to Germany and Germany alone. Poor Poland!

Podolski in all his German splendour

Podolski’s life is remarkably similar to his German/Polish/European counterpart. Born to Krystyna Podolska and Waldemar Podolski, the first two years of Lukas’ life were spent in Poland before his handball playing mother and footballing father decided to emigrate to West Germany, claiming Aussiedler status, just like the Kloses!

The matter came to a head in 2006 when Klose and Podolski were both in the German starting line-up to face Poland. The two players both refused to sing either national anthem and, out of a mark of respect for their country of origin, the players decided against communicating in their usual Polish during the match. Podolski, who visits his Polish grandmother several times a year, has spoken of his pride and love for the two countries stating that he “feels at home in both countries.”

Poland, meanwhile, remain envious. After all, would you rather have Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose leading the line or Pavel Brozek and Ireneusz Jelen? The 2010 World Cup qualification was their worst to date, finishing second bottom in their group, only ahead of minnows San Marino,. Ending on a more optimistic note, Poland are joint hosts of Euro 2012 with Ukraine, an event giving them a potential chance to exact revenge on thier German counterparts.

With the provisional squad now down to 24, Loew only had to drop one player (Hoffenheim right-back Andreas Beck) before naming his final squad. Privately, Loew may have been a little thankful that so many important decisions were taken out of his hands. But, for a national team that places so much emphasis on pre-tournament preparation, it was hardly ideal, especially taking into account that the number one goalkeeper Rene Adler,  and yet another defensive midfielder Simon Rolfes, were ruled out through injury during the course of the Bundesliga season.

These injury problems left a number of unanswered questions. Who would be the new no.1 goalkeeper? Who would take the captain’s armband? Who would replace Ballack in midfield? Loew’s answer was to turn to youth. Manuel Neuer (24) has been anointed as 1^st choice keeper. Sami Khedira (23) will take up residence in central midfield and Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger (26, 25) will be captain and vice-captain respectively.

The new leaders

In keeping with this theme of youth, Lahm is Germany’s youngest ever captain, and he’ll be captaining Germany’s youngest World Cup squad since 1934. The quality coming out of Germany’s youth ranks has been mentioned before on this site,  and is surely not in question. However, a turn towards youth is a turn away from experience, and there certainly does seem relatively little in this squad. 13 members of the squad will be playing their first ever tournament and 12 of the 23-man party have less than 10 caps to their names.

Questions also remain over Germany’s starting line-up, with left-back, right-wing and centre-forward spots still uncertain. In the last friendly (a convincing 3-1 win at home to Bosnia) they were occupied by Holger Badstuber, Piotr Trochowski and Miro Klose. With the latter two out of form, there has been a strong clamour for them to be replaced by Thomas Mueller and ‘Helmut’ Cacau. The likes of Klose and Podolski will have a lot of work to do to justify their places after poor domestic campaigns this season. At the other end of the pitch, senior centre-back Per Mertesacker has been suffering from frequent concentration lapses.

Doubts also persist over the balance of Loew’s final squad. If Khedira or Schweinsteiger get injured, the next apparent candidate for the ‘No. 6’ is Hamburg’s Dennis Aogo, a left-back by trade. And is there really any need to bring 6 forwards (Cacau, Klose, Podolski, Gomez, Kiessling, Mueller) to a 4-week tournament.

Generation X in goal for Germany

Of course, World Cup history has taught us that nobody proves doubters wrong quite like the Germans. They have got it down to a form of fine art. Their World Cup final victories in 1954 and 1974 came against highly fancied and world renowned sides: ‘The Magnificent Magyars’ of Puskas and Hidegkuti in 1954 and Michels’ and Cruyff’s masters of Total Football in 1974. In 2002 a relatively poor German team made it all the way to the final. Germany’s progress to the final in 1986 famously had coach Franz Beckenbauer in fits of laughter: ‘can you believe we got to the final with these players??’

Perhaps it is this sense of history that has given the ‘Nationalmannschaft’ belief this time around.

Both manager and captain are bullish despite the apparent problems. The increasingly influential Lahm claims this is the best ever national squad he has worked with. Whilst Loew, who needs a good tournament to strengthen his future position, has been talking of ‘not just beating teams with traditional German virtues like running and battling. We want to dominate and outplay our opponents.’ This attitude was certainly reflected in Germany’s victorious performance against Bosnia.

Whether such confidence is misplaced or not remains to be seen but, if history has taught us anything, it is not to bet against the Germans.

Right Back: Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern) – At only 26, Lahm has become a key, influential figure in the Bayern dressing room. Traditionally a right-footed left back with a tendency to cut in from the left onto his stronger foot, he was converted to right back this season by coach Louis van Gaal. This has enabled him to make use of his attacking instincts and at the same time provide more width down the right hand side than he usually would down the left, thus improving the shape of the team.

Left Back: Holger Badstuber (FC Bayern) – League winners, cup winners, Champions League runners-up. Not a bad debut season for the 20 year-old defender. A product of Bayern’s youth system, Badstuber debuted at centre-half and looked a little bit uncertain. His talent was never in question however. His wand of a left foot ensured highly accurate set-piece delivery and one stunning goal. He was shifted mid-season to left-back, which allowed him to make best use of those talents without being so exposed defensively. A late-call up to the provisional German World Cup squad was a confirmation of what a great season he’s had with Bayern. A promising prospect for the future.

Centre Back: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund) – I first noticed Hummels in the U21 Euro final where he completely nullified the threat of Theo Walcott. The timing of his tackles was impeccable. In the subsequent season at Dortmund he’s proved that was no one off. He has also shown an excellent ability to read the game for one so young (still only 21) and he has proved a useful weapon at attacking set-pieces, with 5 goals to his name. Another product of Bayern’s youth system, the Bavarians will be kicking themselves for letting him go.

Centre Back: Sami Hyypia (Bayer Leverkusen) – Despite trailing off to finish 4^th in the 2^nd half of the season, Leverkusen were nothing short of excellent for a large part of the campaign, leading the league  until February with a young side and an attacking brand of football. Along with coach Jupp Heynckes, Hyypia was acknowledged by many of Leverkusen’s promising young players as being crucial in their success. Their ‘On-field coach’, as described by their goalkeeper, Rene Adler.

Right Midfield: Toni Kroos (Bayer Leverkusen) – Another product of FC Bayern’s youth system, Kroos was loaned out to Leverkusen to gain 1^st team experience. Many youth players who leave Bayern on loan never make it back. Kroos’ excellent performances in Leverkusen’s midfield however have left Bayern’s hierarchy in no doubt that he’ll return to the Allianz Arena when he gets back from South Africa (he is in the provisional squad). This boy is going to be a star. Whilst he lacks a yard of pace, he has everything else in his locker to become a world class attacking midfielder: he can beat a man, pick a pass, get his fair share of goals and he is a dead ball wizard.

Left Midfield: Arjen Robben (FC Bayern) – Took over from Franck Ribery as Bayern’s talisman this year, he was always there to pop up with a goal or a moment of supreme inspiration just when Bayern needed him. Highly doubtful Bayern’s season would’ve been so successful if they hadn’t signed this flying Dutchman for €25 million in August. He was without doubt the best player in German football this season.

Defensive Central Midfield: Joel Matip (FC Schalke) – Whilst Mark van Bommel was probably the most impressive performer in this position. It’s up to me to pick this team and here I’m taking the ‘Give Youth a Chance’ philosophy. Matip is destined for the top. Made his debut, and scored his 1^st goal, away at the mighty Bayern, at the ripe old age of 18. Since then the German-born Cameroon international hasn’t been a regular in the Schalke line-up, but, when called upon, has always impressed with his composure on the ball and his knack for grabbing goals at set-pieces.

Attacking Central Midfield: Mesut Özil (Werder Bremen) – Another star in the making. Quite simply, if 90 minutes went by without Özil either creating or scoring a goal for Werder Bremen, it was a genuine surprise. Possessing similar attributes to Kroos, in addition to being a more powerful runner, he is slightly ahead of the Munich man in the national team pecking order and is a rumoured target of Arsenal and Manchester City. He could make himself a household name this summer in South Africa.

Centre Forward: Thomas Müller (FC Bayern) – Takes the number of Bayern youth products in this team to 5. Like Badstuber, the 20 year-old has excelled in his 1^st full season and booked a (provisional) ticket to South Africa. His knack for popping up with goals (he netted 13 this season) has led fans and media to compare him to his namesake, ‘Der Bomber’, Gerd Muller. As well as an excellent goalscoring instinct, ‘Der Neue Bomber’ is versatile. He can operate wide on the left or right, at centre-forward, or in the hole just behind a front man (probably his best position). Another future star.

Centre Forward: Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund) – Most German football fans would probably have picked Kevin Kuranyi or Stefan Kiessling to partner Mueller. However, to come from the Chilean league and handle the cultural and linguistic differences, not to mention differences in style and quality of football, and still post 19 goals, is a remarkable achievement. ‘La Pantera’ probably  doesn’t have any particularly outstanding attributes, other than the unerring ability to find the net. In a Dortmund team that is developing very nicely under Juergen Klopp, Barrios has formed a good understanding with Mohamed Zidan. He won’t be travelling to South Africa with Argentina, but don’t bet against him rocking up in a Paraguay shirt.

Geoff Edwards

Geoff Edwards is a football-mad Englishman who fell in love with a German girl, moved to Germany, and then fell in love with German football (much to the chagrin of said German girl). He can be found most Saturdays in German pubs watching ‘Bundesliga Konferenz’ or at home, looking for creative ways to follow Everton FC on the internet.

No chance of winning the Bundesliga. Champions League qualification? That’s out too. Even the Europa League has passed them by. With no threat of relegation, Eintracht Frankfurt (9th place) and Hoffenheim (11th place) were left with ‘Die goldene Ananas’ (‘the golden pineapple’) as their only realistic chance of silver(or should that be gold?)ware this season. It had all the makings of a momentous encounter.

Okay, okay, as much as I would have loved to see one of the captains proudly holding aloft a gold replica of a pineapple at the end of the match, I have to admit that the opening paragraph is slightly misleading. There is no real golden pineapple, the term is used by Germans to indicate that a match is a dead rubber. Yes, neither team had anything to play for other than pride. And it showed (highlights here).

Frankfurt were the slightly more forceful in the 1st half but didn’t create a great deal before Pirmin Schwegler put them ahead with a 30 yard screamer just before half-time. Hoffenheim were very disappointing in the 1st half. They have a lot of good young players in their squad, but this season they’ve flattered to deceive. Luiz Gustavo, their Brazilian defensive midfielder, was the pick of their players and my man of the match. He was very composed on the ball and made good use of possession. He did a good job defensively too.

The 2nd half was similar to the 1st, not much goal mouth action and both teams giving the ball away like it was going out of fashion. In the end Hoffenheim managed to overhaul Frankfurt’s lead, thanks to 2 goals from Ghanaian substitute Prince Tagoe. The 1st of which was brilliantly set up by two more promising young Brazilians. Carlos Eduardo’s driving run and through ball fed Maicosuel who laid on the perfect cross for Tagoe to tap home.

I would love to be able to provide a deep tactical analysis of the game but, to be honest, I lost interest. My ‘goldfishesque’ attention span needs constant entertainment in order to keep me focused. Luckily, from my seat at the back of the Haupttribune (main stand), I was able to observe a cracking atmosphere in the beautiful and sunny Commerzbank Arena, packed with 50,000 spectators in that end of season carnival mood.

As an Evertonian, I appreciate a bit of tradition and history when I go to a match, so I always look forward to hearing Eintracht’s pre-match song,‘Im Herzen von Europa’ by the Frankfurt Police Choir, which always gets the faithful home following nicely loved up on all things Eintracht just before kick-off.

Once the match kicks off it’s over to the Ultras in the ‘Westtribune’ ( you guessed it, West Stand) behind the goal, buoyed by their ring leader with a megaphone, hooked up to other megaphones in the stand. His job (how he got it above others I’ve no idea) is to screech chants into the megaphone with as shrill a voice as possible, which the rest of the mob then follow. My German friend ironically calls this ‘organised happiness’, meaning that the Germans are so rigid and lacking in creativity that they need someone to tell them what to sing.  Most of the chants had similar melodies to those you’d hear in English grounds, even sometimes with the same words.  One I hadn’t heard before watching German football is called ‘Pippi Langstrumpf’ (Pippi Longstocking). It’s a source of huge pride amongst fans of all German clubs and each set of fans thinks their version is the best. Personally, I don’t think anyone does it better than the ‘Frankfurter Jungs’.

Whilst my friend’s quip about ‘organised happiness’ was a bit tongue in cheek, there is definitely less wit, creativity and humorous banter than you would normally hear in an English ground. Where 2 sets of English fans will play off against each other depending on the state of play, as well as coming up with witty little numbers about individual players, German fans seem to have a set of songs that they stick to every game.

What I do like however, is that the players at all clubs always make a point of coming to acknowledge their fans at the end of the game. When I say acknowledge, I mean approaching and genuinely applauding the fans, donating the odd shirt or pair of boots, even climbing up the barriers and having a sing-song with the megaphone. To me, it’s one of many examples of German clubs making an effort to maintain bonds with its fans.

English clubs, take note.

Geoff Edwards

Geoff Edwards is a football-mad Englishman who fell in love with a German girl, moved to Germany, and then fell in love with German football (much to the chagrin of said German girl). He can be found most Saturdays in German pubs watching ‘Bundesliga Konferenz’ or at home, looking for creative ways to follow Everton FC on the internet.

The second half of the season usually breathes new life into the Bundesliga, with previously unheralded teams springing to the fore to the surprise of many, not least a few red-faced pundits. But the element of surprise isn’t only limited to teams. Here are some lesser-known players who could enhance their reputations between now and May:

Franco Zuculini (Hoffenheim) - Hoffenheim coach Ralf Rangnick is a personal friend of Arsene Wenger. The two share the same footballing philosophy. And it shows. Hoffenheim play a brand of pacy attacking football that is pleasing on the eye and, like Wenger’s boys, lack steel and bite in the centre of the park. That’s where Zuculini comes in. Despite having made only 4 appearances this season, Rangnick trusted the 19 year-old Argentinian to start in the centre of midfield in their defeat away to Bayern this Friday (15 January). Zuculini didn’t disappoint, putting in an all-action display, harrying Schweinsteiger and Van Bommel in Bayern’s midfield. He was hell-bent on breaking up Bayern’s attacks, also showing a willingness to get forward and a good range of passing. Signed from Racing Club Avellaneda for €4.6 million, Zuculini has the potential to become the complete midfielder and could be a real find for Hoffenheim.

Alexander Baumjohann (Schalke) – Schalke have been nothing short of a revelation so far this season. Despite a lack of imagination in midfield, and a mountain of debt, Schalke find themselves 2nd in the table (as at 18 January). That they have come this far is down to a list of factors (tight defence, superior fitness levels, a top class manager) in which creativity is closer to the bottom than the top. To inject some invention into the centre of the park, Magath has brought in Baumjohann. One of a long and distinguished list of promising young players not to have made the grade at Bayern, Baumjohann made ony 3 appearances for the Bavarians before landing back at the club where he began his career. The skilful midfielder will be hoping to recapture the form he showed for Borussia Moenchengladbach in 2008-09, the form which earned him the move to Bayern in the 1st place. If he does, you wouldn’t bet against Schalke capturing an unlikely league title.

Marco Reus (Borussia Moenchengladbach) – The sales of both Marko Marin and Baumjohann during the close season, and the replacement of experienced manager Hans Meyer with Michael Frontzeck, were thought by many to be a recipe for relegation. However, Gladbach have been a pleasant surprise this season, playing some classy football and recording some notable wins against the likes of  Hamburg, Schalke, Mainz and Frankfurt. This is thanks in no small part to the men signed to replace Marin and Baumjohann: Juan Arango (Mallorca) and Reus (Rot-Weiss Ahlen). 20 year-old Reus has been particularly impressive. A classy playmaker, Reus’ trademark is cutting in from wide positions, either to slip the strikers through on goal or to go for the one-two and finish the move himself. Reus scored in the wins against Hamburg and Schalke, but his finest moment was a stunning solo effort against Mainz in August, running from the halfway line to coolly slot past the keeper.

Adrián Ramos (Hertha BSC) - If Ramos had known what was to unfold at Hertha Berlin during his first half season at the club, he may well have stayed put in Colombia. The side from the capital lost 13 of their 17 league games. Lucien Favre, the manager who brought him to Germany, was sacked and the club have been rooted to the bottom of the table and hurtling towards the trap door. The Colombian international initially looked like a fish out of water at Hertha, unable to adapt to the demands of the Bundesliga. However, as Berlin have shown a small improvement under new coach Friedhelm Funkel, Ramos has begun to show what inspired Favre to sign him from America de Cali. Perhaps Ramos’ biggest strength is his intelligent movement off the ball. He frequently manages to position himself in the channels between full-backs and centre-backs so that team mates can slip him through on goal with ease, and when he’s one on one with opposing keepers, he keeps a cool head and looks to place it into the corners. Since his first goal for the club at Stuttgart in November, Ramos has netted 5 in 6. Unbeaten so far in the ‘Rueckrunde’, Hertha now lie 8 points adrift of safety. If they’re to somehow survive, they’ll need Ramos firing.

Photo from www.focus.de

If you haven’t been convinced so far then the game against Chelsea should have been the final display needed to sway your mind that Darren Fletcher is now one of the top midfielders in the English Premier League. Without him, United have no cover of the back four; causing big games to slip away so easily – last season’s Champions League final a prime example.

 This is Darren Fletcher’s eighth season for Manchester United. Initially deployed on the right hand side of midfield in his early Manchester United career, it’s taken a while to realise his truth worth to the team – he’s now even started to weigh in with goals; two against Manchester City and an unforgettable one a week ago against Everton.

For nearly two years now there has been a noticeable improvement to the Scotland captain’s game – offering bundles of energy in the centre midfield with an added bite. The improvement has been attributed this to his work in the gym, with the United staff claiming that he’s the only one, except Cristiano Ronaldo, who has managed to get their gym workouts perfectly integrated into their weekly routine and development as a football player.

Fletcher’s game though is a lot more than that. He possesses excellent positioning, awareness and determination. On the ball his control and passing skills have improved; enabling him, when he wins the ball back, to quickly set his team onto the offensive. All this is underlined by the fact that Darren Fletcher is Manchester United’s most consistent player.

The above could equally describe Owen Hargreaves. Hargreaves also offers a greater level of flexibility to a team still trying to find their feet in their new system. He can play at right back, like he has done for England. Right midfield like he did for Manchester United against Chelsea in the Champions League Final however there is no doubt that his best position is in front of the defence, closing off attacks and pressing games in the middle of the field.

Whilst there may be questions raised whether or not he can get back into the England team, his flexibility surely makes him a candidate for the 23-man squad.

At club level, Alex Ferguson has another one of those ‘hard’ decisions to make – what midfield pairing should he use? Fletcher has already proven this season that he can reach the levels Hargreaves once did and besides this question is presumptuous that Hargreaves will fully recover from his injury. To play them both may require removing a striker or an attacking element from the midfield. Partnering either one with Anderson or Scholes may be Ferguson’s preferred choice to balance the side.

Ferguson may not have to choose between them however. Playing them both could see his side set up similar to the formation the Brazilian national team adopts. Two central midfielders in front of the defence allows both the full backs to bomb forward. Evra has hit the ground running again this season for Manchester down the left flank linking up well with whoever has played in front of him. The right flank has lacked the same drive but with two anchoring midfielders it gives Ferguson the option to pick Rafael or Fabio in that position in a less risky strategy.

It also allows the third midfielder to have a license to concentrate on attack. Rooney has been, at times this season, isolated when playing up front alone. It could be said that bar Ryan Giggs, none of the midfielders have really made a good enough attacking impression this season. The 3^rd pick in a three-man centre midfield for Manchester United however can neglect his defensive duties knowing he has the best two defensive centre midfielders in the country next to him.

Stuttgart are currently lying in 14^th place with only 8 points from 10 games. Including the Cup defeat, they have lost their last four games (also losing at home to Schalke and Sevilla and away to Hannover 96) and have only two wins to their credit in the league all season – against Freiburg at home (4:2) and Frankfurt away (0:3).  General manager Horst Heldt has gone on record time and again stating he is 100% behind Babbel . But the former Liverpool man will be aware that the last time Stuttgart had such a bad start to the season, they went down. He will be eager to record a positive result against this Saturday’s opponents – Bayern Munich.

The four-times European champions are in a far less precarious situation in the league (they’re currently sitting 5^th and 4 points off leaders Bayer Leverkusen), but the jury is still out on coach Louis van Gaal. The Bavarians have recorded some excellent wins this season, most notably a 3-0 win over champions Wolfsburg and a 5-1 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund, but more often than not they have failed to convince. They have suffered defeats at the hands of Hamburg and newly promoted Mainz and flattered to deceive in wins over Nürnberg, Freiburg and last week against Eintracht Frankfurt. Then there was the miserable Champions League capitulation in Bordeaux. To further add to the pressure, Van Gaal’s Bayern have a worse points tally than Juergen Klinsmann’s Bayern at the same time last season, and the German media are quick to remind him.

Van Gaal has been struggling to find out what his best team is and has a number of issues to solve. Is Philipp Lahm more effective at right or left back, and who will play on the other flank? Will he be able to get the best out of Franck Ribery? They are only now starting to develop a working relationship, and Van Gaal hasn’t found a settled position for him. Will he play 4-3-3 or 4-4-2? How can he accommodate Luca Toni, Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose, not to mention their new young attacking prospect Thomas Müller? There are also question marks at the centre of defence. 20 year-old Holger Badstuber is obviously talented, but can he fill the departed Lucio’s boots for the whole season with only Martin Demichelis as back-up?

This is all a far cry from the final day of last season. The two sides met in the Allianz Arena knowing a win could have taken them to the title. It was sadly not to be for both sides as they were pipped by Wolfsburg. For Stuttgart, finishing third was a fantastic achievement. After Babbel took over in November 2008, the team lost only twice in 20 league games to power their way up the table.

So what’s gone wrong this season for the Swabians? Stuttgart have had to deal with losing their best player, Mario Gomez, to their upcoming opponents. They have created lots of chances throughout their recent run of defeats, but they lack the killer instinct that Gomez provided.

Babbel has spent some money bringing in Pavel Pogrebnyak and Zdravko Kuzmanovic, as well as Alex Hleb on loan, to strengthen the squad. It’s clear that the new signings are taking time to bed in, whilst the more experienced players are struggling to adapt to playing without Gomez as their focal point. Good players usually adapt however, and Stuttgart’s players should do so, provided they stay focused and professional (they were rumoured to be seen out partying following the home defeat to Schalke) and they don’t let their heads drop – with better luck, Stuttgart could have won their last 2 league games comfortably and would be sitting in a far more satisfactory 9^th place if they had.

If Stuttgart harbour any hopes of European football next season they will need to start winning soon. For Babbel, what better stage to begin a revival than a home match against his former club?

Photo by Apfelsafttee