Germany - World Cup 2006 Team Profile

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The hosts appear to be in very poor shape heading into the finals, possibly even at an historic low in terms of talent and imagination.

The same could have been said before the World Cup 2002 in Korea/Japan but somehow the team staggered like a drunk to the final against Brazil and an inevitable defeat after a bright enough start.

After a decent Confederations Cup in 2005 on home soil, under-fire coach Jurgen Klinsmann has tried various formations and changes in personnel, usually with the same end-result - defeat or a draw.

In recent warm-up games, Germany has lost to both Turkey and Italy, gained draws with Holland and France and beaten only a virtual reserve team USA in Dortmund. The last "big" team Germany have defeated was England at Wembley in 2002 World Cup qualifying way back in 2001 - five and a half years ago!

Germany are 7/1 with the bookies to win the trophy on home soil for the second time but chances of progressing beyond the quarter-finals look remote, despite massive home support. Injuries to Bayern's Sebastian Diesler and Philipp Lahm mean Diesler misses the whole tournament and key player Lahm, one of the few dependable defenders available to Klinsmann, needs to regain fitness soon. Klinsmann will not want to start with the lumbering Chelsea center-half Robert Huth in place of the out-of-form Christoph Metzelder.

Germany have looked slow and disorganized at the back and things are not much better further forward with goals hard to come-by and the national team reliant on a number of players of foreign descent for fire-power upfront.

Still, with a few victories under their belt in the group stage no-one should write off the German team on home turf.

INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS

• World Cup Winners 1954, 1974 (as West Germany) and 1990.
• European Championship Winners 1972, 1980 (as West Germany), 1996
WORLD CUP RECORD
1938 First Round; 1974 Second Round; 1962, 1994, 1998 Quarter finals; 1958 Fourth place; 1934, 1970 Third place; 1982, 1986, 2002 Runners up; 1954, 1974, 1990 champions
COLOURS
White shirts with black, red and yellow piping, black shorts, white socks with a black trim.

TEAM STARS

Michael Ballack Chelsea (England)

Germany's brightest hope, Michael Ballack, has just completed his long drawn out pre-World Cup move from German champions Bayern Munich to the English Champions, Chelsea. Much rests on the shoulders of the talented 30-year-old from Karl-Marx-Stadt in the former East Germany. Ballack can both finish and set up chances and will be employed in an midfield attacking role by Klinsmann, probably supported by Torsten Frings in the holding role in the center and Bastian Schweinsteiger and Bernd Schneider on the flanks.

Jens Lehmann - Arsenal (England)

The hot-headed Lehmann has had a fine season at Arsenal despite his sending off in the Champions League final against Barcelona, which eventually cost his team the match. Lehmann has been confirmed as Germany's number one choice in goal after winning his personal duel with Bayern's Oliver Kahn - the MVP of the 2002 World Cup.

Lukas Podolski - Cologne

Germany's answer to Wayne Rooney turns 21 during the tournament, but unlike Rooney, Podolski has had a woeful season at relegated Cologne and must be short of confidence. Podolski will probably form an attacking duo with Miroslav Klose, another player of Polish descent.

Coach

Rookie coach Jurgen Klinsmann was a surprise choice for the job of Germany's manager, but then again more qualified candidates, Christoph Daum, Ottmar Hitzfeld and Otto Rehhagel didn't fancy the pressures that come with the job. The much traveled Klinsmann has been much criticised for spending a large part of his time at his Californian home rather than in Germany in the run-up to the tournament and was labelled by Der Spiegel magazine as "the most insulted German". If things go badly wrong in Group A, Klinsmann may have to stay permanently in the Californian sunshine, but, fortunately opponents Poland, Ecuador and Costa Rica should not tax the Germans too much, even this vintage of 2006. Confidence, momentum and belief could build before an expected second round clash with either Sweden or England.

World Cup Squad

Bet on the World Cup

Goalkeepers Jens Lehmann (Arsenal, England), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich) Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart).
Defenders Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Robert Huth (Chelsea, England), Marcell Jansen (Borussia Monchengladbach), Per Mertesacker (Hannover), Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Jens Nowotny (Bayer Leverkusen).
Midfielders Michael Ballack (Chelsea, England), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), David Odonkor (Borussia Dortmund).
Fowards Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne), Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Monchengladbach), Gerald Asamoah (Schalke 04)

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