What was once unthinkable is now the norm. The German National Team, also known as Die Mannschaft, was characterized for
decades as a rigid, disciplined, unbreakable force that had an iron will to
win. Their style of play left much to be
desired. They did not play an exciting,
entertaining brand of soccer. They
grinded out low scoring victories, often relying on set pieces to break the
deadlock. Although it was not pretty,
this style led them to three World Cup and European Championships. However, everything changes.
Since Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup a revolution has
been ongoing at the very core of the German Football Association (DFB). After an utter disastrous Euro 2004
campaign, the DFB appointed Jürgen Klinsmann as manager. He received authority to do whatever was
necessary to avoid embarrassment by the time they were to host the cup. Klinsmann broke ranks by leaving numerous
veterans out, while injecting youth into the squad. In addition, he abandoned the defensive
approach the Germans were known for and seized the offensive. The approach was vindicated as Die Mannschaft unexpectedly reached the
semi-finals.
After Klinsmann’s exit, Joachim Loew took the revolution to
another level and has the Germans on the precipice of a championship. Building on the runner-up position at Euro
2008, Loew guided Germany to the semi-finals in the 2010 World Cup. Although they did not win the tournament,
their style of play was absolutely inspiring.
They were no longer the Germany that I detested. They were the Germany I couldn’t wait to watch. Every game they played in South Africa was a joy
to observe. In essence, they stole
‘Total Football’ from the Dutch. They
moved the ball up and down the field with quick, short passes that eventually
broke down the opposition’s defense.
Their destruction of England, and Argentina in the knockout rounds will
be remembered for years to come. Loew’s
superior strategy and tactics were apparent as the Germans ran rings around a
very skillful Argentina side.
Unfortunately for them, they ran into the only better team that went to
South Africa in the semi-finals, Spain.
With the experience they gained, in addition to the youth
that has been injected, they are ready to take the final step and lift the
championship trophy. Here is a look at
Loew’s squad.
Following in the tradition of great German keepers, Manuel
Neuer maintains his place as the number one.
He followed up a terrific World Cup campaign with two great seasons for
Bayern Munich. Backing him up is a
competent replacement, Bremen’s Tim Wiese.
Though the German backline is strong in some areas there are
questions as well. Bayern Munich’s
Philipp Lahm and Holger Badstuber are the rocks in the back. Lahm’s ability to make attacking runs along
the right flank presents problems for every team they will face. On the left will most likely be Bayern’s Jerome
Boateng. The other center back position
is up for debate due to Arsenal’s Per Mertesacker missing three months of
action due to injury. However, Loew’s
preference for players that have performed well for the national team make me
think that Mertesacker will be the choice.
In addition, Mertesacker’s imposing 6’5” frame make him an excellent
player to have available for set pieces.
The fact that Germany will start as many as four Bayern Munich players
including Neuer in the back five offer them a sense of comfort with each other
that most teams do not have the luxury of.
In the midfield, the Germans are blessed with an abundance
of talent. The German engine is Bayern
Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger. Though
only 27, he has been a fixture in their starting lineup for almost a decade. Not only does he have elite skill and speed, but
also tireless as he covers the field from box to box. He will be relied upon as the main link
between the defenders and attacking players.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s Mesut Ozil is one of the best
attacking midfielders in the tournament.
His coming out party in South Africa showed his ability to create
opportunities even when it appears there are none to be found. He is very crafty and can carve his way
through the opposition’s defense. He
will attract plenty of attention in Poland & Ukraine.
Another player who made a splash in 2010 was Bayern Munich’s
Thomas Muller. With a name like Muller,
it is only natural that he would be a goal-scoring machine, which is exactly
what he was in South Africa where he won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s leading
scorer. It was unfortunate that yellow
cards ruled him out of their semi-final loss to Spain. Muller is a complete player that is mentally
strong. There is no panic in him. He is calm, cool, and blessed with great
instincts. He always seems to put
himself in the perfect position. He is a fearless player that seized his place
among the world’s elite. In soccer’s
version of Top Gun, he would be ‘Ice
Man’.
In addition to these three is the German prodigy, Mario
Gotze. Gotze, only 20, had a breakout
year as he led Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title. This tournament is his coming out party on
the international scene. To this point, I
have only read about him so I am excited to see him take the field and discover
whether or not he is worthy of the hype.
However, he will have a limited role off the bench.
The rest of the German midfield contingent consists of Real
Madrid holding midfielder Sami Khedira, Bayern Munich’s Toni Kroos,
Leverkusen’s Lars Bender, and Monchengladbach’s Marco Reus. Although Khedira received a lot of praise for
his performance in South Africa, he did not show me very much. I thought he gave the ball away more than his
teammates, and was not a defensive machine that earned the praise he
received. His performance was not bad. I
just do not see why the praise was heaped on him. Overall, the Germans have a very strong
midfield with plenty of depth.
Although the Germans are not blessed with the most skillful
forwards, they know how to put the ball in the net when playing for the
national team. AS Roma’s Miroslav Klose
is second on the all time World Cup scoring list. Klose is deadly in the air, a threat on set
pieces, and seems to be in the right place at the right time.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s newly signed Lukas Podolski always
manages to play well for country even after persistent struggles with his
club. Podolski is blessed with an
absolute rocket of a left foot, and if given space he will challenge a goalie
from any distance. Podolski also has
plenty of pace, which makes him a valuable asset for Loew.
Bayern Munich’s Mario Gomez has produced plenty for his
club, but in a Germany jersey he has shown very little. My words are extremely kind when describing
Gomez’s play for country. Although
physically gifted at 6’2”, he seems to panic whenever on the verge of scoring
and finds ways of missing the net. At
times, he is unable to get out of his own way.
In spite of his impressive record with Munich, I think Loew leaves him
on the bench throughout most of the competition or until Klose is exhausted.
Prediction:
Champions. The Germans are strong in the
back, loaded in midfield, and have forwards that seem to deliver in big games
for the national team. Although they are
in the group of death, I find it hard to believe that they will not advance. They
are young, but experienced due to their success over the past six years. They have improved with each tournament since
2006 and are ready to get over their final hurdle, Spain. The Spanish defeated them in the Euro 2008
final and 2010 World Cup semi-final.
While the Spanish are still the most technically gifted team in the
tournament, the Germans have shrunk the technical gap significantly. They should be very hungry for a championship. I think they have the best coach in the
tournament. More importantly, Spain’s
defense will be without its leader, Carlos Puyol, due to injury. Puyol is Spain’s heart and soul and his loss
will be felt. Without him, the Germans
will break through the Spanish defense.
Spain will then have to do something they are not familiar with, play
from behind. They will press forward,
and the German counter-attack will be lethal.
When the final whistle blows, Joseph Haydn’s ‘Lied der Deutschen’ will be sung throughout Germany as their
captain, Lahm, lifts the championship trophy.
By Jeff Graceffo
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