Search
| Euro 2004 Portugal
| Soccer Shop | Football
News | Betting
| Euro
2008 | Blog
| Forum
| Friends
| Books on Football
World Cup 2006 |
World Cup 2002
Archive | Links
| Flights
| Match Tickets |
Contact | Home
A.League | Coaches | Confederations
Cup | Croatia | England | FIFA
Rankings | Football
DVDs | Interviews | J.League | K.League | Liverpool |
Man
Utd | MLS | Players | Spain | SPL | World
Cup 2010 | Club
World Championship
Home|South Africa 2010|Travel|Guide|Groups|Group D|Germany
|
|
South Africa World Cup 2010 Group D: Germany
GROUP D
*GermanyBeginning with a 6-0 win away at Liechtenstein, Germany never let up in their undefeated march to the finals. They dropped points twice to Finland, but consecutive victories over nearest challengers Russia saw Joachim Löw’s side top their group and qualify with ease. Polish-born strikers Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski helped themselves to thirteen goals between them in qualifying, while the talismanic Michael Ballack proved Germany’s driving force in midfield. Germany were also tight at the back, conceding just five goals in ten qualifiers in their convincing run to the finals.
Fixtures
Germany v Australia 13 June; Durban AnalysisThe tragic suicide of goalkeeper Robert Enke in November 2009 shocked the nation and shattered the close-knit German side. He was widely tipped to travel to South Africa as Germany’s number one, but Enke’s death leaves youngsters Rene Adler, Manuel Neuer and Tim Wiese battling for possession of the goalkeeping jersey. Germany have long possessed a handy knack of churning out high-quality midfielders, but captain Michael Ballack remains the the fulcrum in the centre of the park, while up front veteran Miroslav Klose is now just twenty goals behind Gerd Müller’s all-time goal scoring record. The country’s cosmopolitan nature is reflected in the number of German players from multicultural backgrounds, with the likes of Mesut Özil, Aaron Hunt, Marko Marin, Piotr Trochowski and Mario Gomez all potentially playing a role in South Africa.
Key player: Michael BallackNot always the most respected of players at his club side Chelsea, Germany’s captain Michael Ballack will call upon years of experience and a tenacious will to win in South Africa. One to watch: Lukas PodolskiAt just 24-years of age, the 2010 World Cup could prove a make-or-break tournament for Lukas Podolski, whose impressive scoring record for the national team masks a barren few years in the Bundesliga.
Coach: Joachim LöwWidely considered to be the tactical brains behind Germany’s run to the semi-finals at the last World Cup, Joachim Löw replaced Jürgen Klinsmann at the conclusion of the 2006 tournament and subsequently steered Germany to the final of Euro 2008, where they narrowly lost to Spain. Record1938 First round; 1974 Second Round; 1962, 1994, 1998, 2006 Quarter finals; 1958 Fourth place; 1934, 1970 Third place; 1982, 1986, 2002 Runners up; 1954, 1974, 1990 champions FIFA RankingPredictions & Latest OddsWill make it out of the group and on to the quarterfinals and beyond.
How they qualifiedFinished top in European group 4. On the sidelines Gerd Muller is Germany's highest goalscorer with 68. Soccerphile saysWhile Germany must respond to the tragic death of popular team-mate Robert Enke, much of the squad has plenty of international experience. Combined with a new generation of talent gradually being introduced to the national set-up, Germany are widely expected to top a tough group containing Australia, Serbia and Ghana and look a good chance to emulate their feats of 2006 and reach the final four. The SquadGoalkeepers: Joerg Butt (Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Schalke),
Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen) |
||||||
| ||||||
| Terms of Use. | "The Onside In-Site" Copyright © From 2000. All rights reserved. Soccerphile Ltd. |
Top of Page. | ||||
