Werder Bremen met Hamburger SV for the first of four matches on Wednesday in the DFB-Pokal semifinal. Werder deservedly came out on top after extra-time on penalties following an engaging 1-1 draw at full-time. Though it was Hamburg’s Frank Rost who kept the game on to become the longest ever Nord-Derby, it was Tim Wiese who was the goalkeeper hero of the night.

First, in the second-period of extra-time Wiese quickly came off his line to deny Hamburg a late winner. Then it was Wiese again who saved three consecutive penalties to seal the victory. The win sets up Werder to face Bayer Leverkusen for the DFB-Pokal in Berlin on May 30. Hopefully the final goes to penalties and we will get to see first-hand René Adler versus Tim Wiese.

This all comes to show that Tim Wiese is a serious challenger for the top Germany goalkeeping spot. He has obviously the skill, the speed, and the presence of mind to become Number 1. What separates him from Robert Enke and René Adler is that Tim Wiese looks and acts slightly crazy and erratic – like all the best German goalkeepers were. (Notice his movements before stopping each penalty and compare them to Rost.)

On a side note after watching the game, Clemens Fritz should never be recalled to the national team again, Marcell Jansen should never ever take a penalty for Germany, and Jerome Boateng should be considered for a nomination to the national team soon – though he should not take a penalty either.

Goes to show that Germany has came a long way since then – the wrong way unfortunately.

2. The referee was indeed bad – good for Germany, but still bad. It should have been throw in Wales before Ballack scored the first goal and Wales should have gotten a penalty when Tasci slipped up in the box and took down a Welsh player in the process. Thanks to the complexities of chaos theories and butterfly effects it’s still perfectly possibly that Germany would have won 2-0 anyway, in fact Gomez would have probably scored both goals. It could have been the other way round as well and those two calls helped brush over the fact that this team is just not what it used to be – but I’m repeating myself.

3. Lukas Podolski doesn’t like tactics. Or he doesn’t like it when Ballack lectures him about tactics. Whatever the case, his reaction was just the right thing to do to get some views and comments on YouTube and isn’t that what counts in the 2.0 era?
 

 
Apart from that it was obviously immatureshouldn’thavehowdarehe. What’s great about all of this for Jogi Löw is, that all the recent team internal rifts and argy bargy center around Michael Ballack and not his man/team management skills.

4. Jogi Löw needs a better backup system than 4-2-3-1 (or was it a Dutch 4-3-3 or a 4-1-2-1-2 or a 4-8-15-16-23-42? The verdict is still out.) In any case, it was a one trick pony at the Euros and not so cherished overall and I wasn’t impressed again either.

5. Mario Gomez could tell Daryl a thing or two about the merits of international weeks.

6. I wasn’t disappointed by Thomas Hitzelsperger’s performance this time around, because I needed all my disappointment for Simon Rolfes.

7. Arne Friedrich can chill and focus on Berlin. He was set to debut in Germany’s defense before his injury kept him out of the two games. A chance for Serdar Tasci to apply for the open position alongside Per Mertesacker. Rumor has it the job interview didn’t go so well.

8. There is such a thing as eternal justice for goalkeepers. Rene Adler seemed to have taken maximum advantage of Robert Enke’s injury and looked set to become Germany’s new #1. Now it was Robert Enke’s turn to take advantage of Adler’s injury. He pulled off two superb saves for the gallery and was overall very confident and in complete control of his box.

9. Ballack’s goal was a beauty. The fact that it wasn’t 100% legal and that Löw briefly picks his nose again in the build up just adds a further dimension of greatness to it.
 

 
10. Can’t think of a proper 10.

2. England has the same national anthem as Liechtenstein. Or is it the other way round?

3. There is room for improvement in Germany’s passing game. The timing and accuracy of passes was overall a bit off – especially over long stretches of the first half. Not that Liechtenstein could take any advantage and Germany usually managed to keep possession anyway, or win the ball back a couple of seconds later. But I had the feeling that a better opponent could have once again frustrated Germany like Norway and England did. A little bit more creativity could have helped offset some inaccuracies, though unless you equal an abundance of back heel passes with creativity, there was also room for improvement in this area of Germany’s game. All nagging aside, the team also strung together this great move to score the third goal:
 

 
4. Mario Gomez can’t even score against Liechtenstein and that’s just sad. He also had the most chances of any German player to score, which makes everything even more depressing. The fans in the stadium eventually started booing him, which again is plain stupid. A player in severe need of a confidence boost gets singled out and booed by the crowd in a rather meaningless game against Liechtenstein – what’s the point? Anyway, for shits and giggles here are the combined club and country stats for the current 2008/2009 season:
1. Miroslav Klose – 42 games, 23 goals, 12 assists, 0,83 scorer points per game
2. Mario Gomez – 44 games, 25 goals, 9 assists, 0,77 scorer points per game
3. Patrick Helmes – 35 games, 21 goals, 5 assists, 0,74 scorer points per game
4. Lukas Podolski – 30 games, 11 goals, 5 assists, 0,53 scorer points per game

5. Lukas Podolski can score against Liechtenstein. But that has never been his problem anyway. He’ll probably would have been better off not scoring, since he is always accused that his impressive goal tally for Germany is all down to the bi-annual games against the tiniest of football nations. He has now scored 32 goals and equalled Klaus Fischer’s Germany record. Though the latter played 16 fewer games and earned his hall of fame status with his overabundance of bicycle kicks resulting in goals like this one (vs. Switzerland 1977) or this one (vs. France WC semi-final 1982). He also scored them in the Bundesliga or when they weren’t given by the referee or when he was already 40 years old. Podolski might soon leave him behind in the rankings, but he still needs to do a few more special things to earn the same status as Fischer.

6. Michael Ballack had a good game, while taking into account that it was still only against Liechtenstein, and that he also racked up a good amount of bad passes. But overall he really pulled the strings and ran the show in midfield and also scored this spectacular goal:
 

 
7. When I was talking about the improvable passing and creativity I was also thinking about Thomas Hitzelsperger. He could have scored a great goal with a volley from a Schweinsteiger free kick, had Michael Ballack not given the ball the wrong deflection. But otherwise I was a bit disappointed by his effort. He had few ideas, and the few he had usually ended up in interceptable passes through the middle. He couldn’t really take advantage of Frings’ absence.

8. Marcell Jansen started in midfield for a change, where he is currently excelling at Hamburg. He scored a goal and hit the crossbar and overall confirmed his good club form. I was a bit disappointed by the lack of co-op action with Philipp Lahm though, but that might have also been just because Lahm decided to take it easy that evening. I was still overall more impressed by the recent Lahm/Trochowski/Marin combos on the pitch. I would still like to see him get another chance against Wales.

9. Andreas Beck got another chance to stake his claim on Germany’s deserted right-back position. He obviously had little to do defensively and was a bit uninspired going forward, albeit very motivated and active. He currently doesn’t have a lot of serious competitors on his position though, unless Lahm suddenly decides that he rather wants to play as right-back again.

10. Bastian Schweinsteiger had a valid penalty claim, one which certainly nobody will remember, unless maybe Germany misses out on qualification by a single goal. Apart from that, he also had a lively game and the fact that Lahm and Jansen didn’t really connect, meant that for once Germany’s right flank was the more dominant one.

I really wonder what is going on in Jogi’s mind. He says things like we will learn from this experience, but then goes on to field his predictable 4-2-2-2. When the Norwegians figured out our system, he went so far as to pretty much do nothing. His style of managing reminds me of FIFA 98, where each half was four-minutes and the tactics only changed when the game was paused. Of course, stopping the game threw off hand-eye coordination. The Germans players are not that unresponsive – they can adapt if prompted (maybe not Westermann).

We obviously needed a tactical change during the game, but Jogi as usual just swapped players and crossed his fingers. What’s more is that the players he selected were wrong. Since it was a friendly there was no point in playing a team of regulars for more than a half. I was surprised Marin and Özil got to play at all. Did Jogi really believe Özil could change things in less than a quarter?

The problem is even deeper than that. The fact is that his system needs to be reworked. The type of players he has now in Marin and Özil are not the same as Hitzlsperger and an-injured Ballack or bruised Frings. Whereas players like Marin cannot maximize their ability in a rigid one-pass video-game formation, players like Hitzlsperger can get burned playing such a fast paced one-touch game – if at all. The formation and play has to be designed around the next-generation, not the already fading one.

The restructuring might have to wait, but at least Jogi should actually use friendly matches more to experiment with formations than to play promotion tours with (frankly crap) teams in Asia. If he had during the game changed into a 4-1-4-1, a 4-1-3-2, or even his recent discovery 4-2-3-1 (at the half) the result would have been different. Even if we had lost worse, we would have gained something more. Who knows I might be wrong. Maybe Jogi has finally learned that Westermann can’t play as centerback. Maybe Jogi will plan ahead next time and get a real centerback like Höwedes.

Now, it’s not all Jogi’s fault.

Adler: Extremely shaky at first and lucky on more than a couple of occasions. He produced at least one superb reaction save and had good positioning. Nonetheless, the jury is still out on who the Number 1 will be for 2010.

Hinkel: Was more effective than Lahm and played with heart. He showed very quick offensive and defensive runs and good ball control. Jogi was right to call him up time and time again, it’s just a shame Jogi has not had the guts to use him over Friedrich.

Mertesacker: Indispensable and made few mistakes. He provided some good through balls and as usual made some great last-minute tackles and recoveries.

Westermann: How many goals does it take for Jogi to realize that Westermann is no good as a centerback? I am all for player development, but clearly we have other options. Watching Westermann play is a fright. He was culpable of losing the ball, hesitating, and naturally caught sitting during the goal. It’s time he is benched or played someplace where he actually normally plays. Centerback is too important a position to have someone who cannot be trusted.

Lahm: It’s one of those days. Lahm was not up to his usual standards. Save for a classic run and shot from the left, he had a relatively quiet game. Maybe it’s time Jogi gave him a well deserved rest and played someone like Schäfer? Admittedly neither would be much use in dealing with high-crosses into the box, thus all the more reason we need a dependable centerback.

Frings: Not horrible and not brilliant. He had a poor first quarter, but afterward distributed the ball all right. Nonetheless, his lack of pace showed and did not help our scoring opportunities. This might be his last call.

Ballack: OK. Despite everything we still need Ballack. He gave an effort, distributed the ball, and was generally present at least for the first-half. He may want to work on set-pieces along with the rest of the team though.

Schweni: Good not great. He played a very good possession game, caused trouble on the right, and was dangerous in front of goal. When he was forced to overtake Frings’ role he was more subdued, but still present.

Trochowski: Silent through most of the game. He should have been replaced at halftime or placed on the opposite flank later on. He did make some crosses and had a good shot blocked.

Gomez: Whistled off the pitch. Below the frustration I actually felt sorry for him. He just seems unable to score. He was incorrectly adjudged offside more than once and presented a few windows of opportunity. Still he simply isn’t world class yet or so we keep telling ourselves.

Klose: I am sorry did he play today? Made one good pass and left the rest of his form back at Bayern. Then again we don’t have Ribery do we?

Helmes & Kiessling: Both substituted on with little impact. I guess there was not much they could have done, though sticking the ball in the back of the net might have helped.

Marin & Özil: As it turns out we do have Ribery type players or at least Messi like ones! Now, if they had been allowed to play from the start or at least a half, the score-line would have been very different.

Beck: Good, but not any better than Hinkel. Despite the glowing reviews, Beck was clearly caught watching during the goal. He failed to communicate with Marin at times, but by that point the German team was frantic. Nonetheless, it is good to know we now have a quicker alternative to Friedrich. Our rightback problem may be solved. Who knows, we might also have solved our centerback problem. Friedrich can play as centerback. Hold on, my mistake, that is Westermann’s guaranteed spot!

In conclusion, we need to find a cure to this chronic illness of poor form. It appears to be a psychological problem and thus, be it Ballack or Jogi, someone needs to motivate the team throughout the game. After all this is not FIFA 98 – players are human and I am not Bundestrainer.

Germany faces Norway on Wednesday (20:45) for an international friendly. Löw has selected newcomers Andreas Beck and Mesut Özil. Both Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings are also called up. However, both Lukas Podolski and Robert Enke are omitted due to lack of recent playing time and injury. Arne Friedrich, although in the original lineup, is injured and will miss the fixture.

Overall the lineup is a promising selection by Löw.

Özil, a third-generation German of Turkish origin, is now officially with the DFB. He announced this week of his desire to play for the Germany senior-side over his earlier selection by Turkey. As shown by his performances for the German U-21 and Werder Bremen, Özil is a very talented player who will undoubtedly augment an ever formidable, dynamic, and mobile German midfield.

Beck’s nomination is a potential solution to the lack of an attack-oriented defensively-stable right-back. His play for Hoffenheim shows that he is a viable alternative for initiating an attack to an overworked Phillip Lahm. Although Arne Friedrich usually plays RB under the national team, his skills as a reliable defender are better used as a center-back; a position which he usually plays at Hertha Berlin.

Both Ballack and Frings are back after the media-row. The 2006 midfield staples are now aging and need to be in top-form (and low media-profile) if they are to make a meaningful contribution to the 2010 effort.

Enke has recovered from injury, but was not selected due to lack of match practice. Tim Wiese is not exactly the most dependable backup goalkeeper, but his performance against England merits his selection. Besides, if Löw takes Manuel Neuer what does the U-21 have left?

It is good to see an out-of-form Podolski not selected and an in-form Stefan Kießling given another chance. On the other hand, Löw has failed to recall Marcel Schäfer despite his extremely promising debut against England. Instead Löw has nominated an ever present and mediocre Thomas Hitzlsperger. Sami Khedira, Hitzlsperger teammate at VfB Stuttgart, would have been a better choice, but the Özil nomination was much more important. For some reason also, Andreas Hinkel is back. Apparently Hinkel’s play must inspire something or at least be less abysmal than Clemens Fritz’s.

Lineup

Goalkeepers: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)

Defenders: Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Andreas Hinkel (Celtic), Philipp Lahm (Bayern), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Serdar Tasci (Stuttgart), Heiko Westermann (Schalke)

Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (Stuttgart), Marko Marin (Borussia Monchengladbach), Mesut Özil (Werder Bremen), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg)

Attackers: Mario Gomez (Stuttgart), Patrick Helmes (Bayer Leverkusen), Stefan Kießling (Bayer Leverkusen), Miroslav Klose (Bayern)

Formation

Adler
Tasci (Beck) – Mertesacker – Westermann – Lahm
Frings (Hitzlsperger) – Rolfes
Schweinsteiger – Ballack (Özil)
Klose (Gomez) – Helmes (Kießling)

Knowing Löw, he will start with his conservative 4-2-2-2 lineup and make few changes except throw on some different strikers and maybe Hitzlsperger if he’s not already starting. Maybe he’ll give Beck or Marin (just one of them) and Özil more than fifteen minutes though I seriously doubt it. Westermann is guaranteed at center-back and more likely than not gift Norway a goal.

Better Formation

Adler
Beck (Hinkel / Westermann) – Mertesacker – Tasci – Lahm (Schäfer)
Frings (Rolfes)
Marin – Ballack (Schweni) – Özil – Trochowski
Helmes (Gomez / Kießling)

I would prefer we try a (4-1-3-1). Although we need a better holding midfielder and it would be hard to decide between the four forwards for the lone striker position, it would give a trial to the new midfielders and the defense as well. Beck should start and Hinkel should be used for once after so many nominations. Westermann should just sit down and not make any horrible mistakes at the center-back position that Löw starts him in every time. With Friedrich injured and his guaranteed spot on the right opened to Beck, Löw should call up Schäfer and give Lahm a break. Frings is due a trial since he has been making so much noise and be seated immediately at halftime. Rolfes needs a good run, but in reality we need to find a real defensive midfielder for the future. Someone like what Dietmar Hamann was to Liverpool in 2005. Marin and Özil need to be given at least a half and Ballack should start to give the team some coherence. Maybe Gomez can come on and break his duck! Then again…

I am glad we lost. There I said it.

Fabio Capello showed up with an energetic and compact English team. Jogi Löw on the other hand came down with a first-half Germany display reminiscent of the 1-2 loss to Croatia. We were often unmotivated and at times outplayed. Some may say that this was the German B-Team, but without Michael Ballack and Phillip Lahm what are we left with besides the 1-2 scoreline? On the bright side, the loss gives Jogi some things to consider before he experiments with bad habits again.

Rene Adler had an unlucky night, but was squarely at fault for the opener. Tim Wiese could do no worse and it was reassuring to see that he was ready when called upon. In the end though, neither keeper looked extremely comfortable, giving credence to those who want to see Manuel Neuer in goal sooner rather than later. The upshot is that we have plenty of talent in the goalkeeping department to sort through… unlike England.

If Adler was culpable for the first goal then Heiko Westermann was sure to blame for the second. Once again he was beaten in central defense; once again this directly resulted in a goal. Maybe shifting him to the wing is a better idea, where his mistakes would be less costly. After all, his danger to the German team is proportional to how far he is from the German goal. Speaking of right-back, Arne Friedrich showed once again how slow yet lucky he is. More than once he was saved by a well-positioned Per Mertesacker. One wonders if a swap of Friedrich and Westermann would do the trick?

On the opposite flank Marvin Compper had a relatively quiet debut. He was faultless, but then again he was no Phillip Lahm. Compper might just make a fine center-back, but as for the backup left-back position it should now belong to Marcel Schäfer. In the few minutes he was on, Schäfer’s pace and play could have been easily mistaken for Lahm’s. Perhaps Jogi will be wise enough to start him next time instead of waiting till the end.

The same can be said for Marko Marin. His introduction provided an attacking midfielder other than Piotr Trochowski for the English defense to worry about. Marin almost dribbled through once, but his share of the ball was affected by Bastian Schweinsteiger’s insistence to stay around the flanks. Although this tactic might work with Ballack in central midfield, it sure did not work with the black-hole pairing of Simon Rolfes and Jermaine Jones. Ballack and his buddy Torsten Frings must be sharing a good laugh now as neither Rolfes nor Jones managed to redeem their starting positions. To be fair the two headless wonders were intended as defensive midfielders and for the most part acted as such, but even Thomas Hitzlsperger would have been a better playmaker than either of them. (A conclusion that one has to give Jogi some credit for.) Thus, it was no surprise that Germany’s strikers were devoid of service for most of the game.

Indeed, we had a classically muted Miroslav Klose and a Mario Gomez who still looks unsure of himself for whatever reason. Luckily Scott Carson and John Terry combined to give half-time substitute Patrick Helmes his first international goal. Credit must be given to Helmes, as one can’t help but imagine what Gomez would have done in Helmes’ stead. Most likely Gomez (with the self-doubt evident on his perplexed face) would not have bothered to trouble Carson. Even if he had, Gomez probably would have missed a completely open goal and then just stare at the rebound off the post. To be fair, Lukas Podolski came on and did not do much either. Thus, the only thing that is certain besides Gomez’s sad international form is that Helmes has just moved up the striker pecking order.

All of this is speculation of course because we really do not know what on earth Jogi Löw is thinking (or doing). What could possibly have motivated him to start with such a conservative lineup? Arguably, it’s the same thing that makes him nominate Clemens Fritz time and defensive failure again. It’s needless to say that the result would have been different if Jogi started anything resembling the lineup he ended up with. (For one thing your girlfriend who supports England would not be rubbing the result in your face.)

If Jogi has learned anything tonight, it is that being half awake half the time will not win you a World Cup. It can’t even win you a friendly at home to a England C-Team.

Indeed Germany ends the year with a good foundation for 2009 and the rest of the qualification campaign.

With the strong international debut of Rene Adler, Germany has a worthy No. 1 keeper for 2010. (Oliver Kahn thinks so.) In midfield Trochowski has finally lived up to his potential with a string of solid performances and has undoubtedly solidified his standing as a permanent fixture in the Nationalelf. Bastian Schweinsteiger is also continuing his motivated contributions demonstrated by his overall world-class interplay, an excellent assist against Russia, and his constant danger against Wales. Not to be outdone, Michael Ballack has returned from injury (and is injured again) to demonstrate his continued importance to the team. With the blood-letting in attack, Germany has come closer to resolving its striker problems. A strong showing from both Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose against Russia was complemented with promising signs from Mario Gomez and Patrick Helmes. In defense Per Mertesacker, who provided a crucial block against Wales, is closer to regaining his full form and Phillip Lahm is continuing to show his attacking prowess and defensive awareness down the flanks.

Of course some problems persist and must be corrected before Germany is ready for 2010, and realistically automatic qualification.

First, the headaches in defense continue. Lahm is prone to the odd and costly mistake, but in reality he is being overworked in defense. Without Marcell Jansen, Lahm must play every crucial Germany (and Bayern) match and this can not help his overall fitness. Lahm looked tired near the end against Wales and was beaten on the right-side of the pitch for a critical moment. Of course Lahm made a last-ditch effort whereas the actual right-back Clemens Fritz (out of position and also to blame) had done little to hinder the Welsh counter. Arne Friedrich did better than Fritz before being substituted but was at times also unable to close the defensive gap. Similarly Heiko Westermann (despite his improvement) needs more experience as his defensive positioning and decision making (notably against Russia) has been sub-standard.

With Keivn Kurányi’s shameful departure it seems the solution has been found to Germany’s attack rotation. The question remains though how consistent Klose and even Podolski can be. Helmes does look promising but wasted some clear opportunities against Wales. Gomez (now more of a threat) is on the other hand still missing the form he has at club level.

Finally, in midfield Germany needs a defensive midfielder who can control difficult situations when the attack is lethargic or the defense is vulnerable. So far this has been Lahm’s job. Simon Rolfes has not been given enough time to play and Torsten Frings due to injury (and perhaps now through sulking) has also been sitting on the bench. Thomas Hitzlsperger has not been criticized for his performances (limited to the occasional wide-non-goal and passing ball) but he is clearly not comfortable in his position. Whenever the tide turns against Germany, Hitzlsperger looks a tad helpless. Indeed when the odds are against Germany and open to a decisive counter-attack (remember that only loss in Dortmund), we need more than just another passer. We need a Dietmar Hamann of 2005 AC-Milan beating vintage. Indeed we are missing someone who can consistently marshal and anchor the inexperienced defense. For the moment Frings (like Ballack) can only come up older and more injury prone.

Luckily on all fronts there is hope primarily from the youth setup. We have contenders, alternatives, and replacements. Not to mention yet another world-class goalie in Manuel Neuer.

Fabio Capello has decided to field promising youngsters for the friendly in Berlin. Let’s hope Jogi Löw does the same.

Germany started qualification for the 2010 World Cup last week against Liechtenstein and Finland. Despite the generally positive results, Joachim Löw needs to quickly find the solutions to the problems that have been plaguing the German team since the Euro 2008 Final in Vienna.

1. There is a large hole in Germany’s defense. The defensive line looked suspect against Liechtenstein and was exposed against Finland. With Mertesacker injured, Metzelder slow, and Westermann visibly shaky, Löw must find or develop central defenders who can make their presence felt. He also needs more responsive efforts from his fullbacks who despite linking well offensively must do a better job defending.

2. The team needs reliable strikers. With a hat-trick against Finland, Miroslav Klose has finally rediscovered his form. Mario Gomez evidently has not. A simple tap-in against Finland hilariously resulted in Gomez dazed inside the net and the ball cleared off the line. Lukas Podolski was on the other hand doing his best to mimic Klose, brilliant one day and completely absent the next. With Kuryani his usual self, it is time to give Helmes or someone else a start.

3. Germany remains dependent on Ballack and Frings. Although there is an abundance of talent in midfield (with convincing attacking displays from Schweni, Trochowski, Podolski and Marin) the general black hole in defensive midfield remains. With both Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings injured the absence of central midfielders who can distribute the ball and shield the defense was obvious against Finland.

4. Löw needs to give proven prospects a chance. He needs to blood consistent players from the Bundesliga or youth level. He has to stop relying on his favored ineffective substitutions. With Klose and Podolski prone to disappearing and Ballack and Frings prone to injury, Löw needs new players to step into place. If certain players can simply not improve then it is high time to drop them.

5. Finally and most importantly the team must stop the habitual sleep-walking through games. They start the first quarter-hour brilliantly and then mysteriously sit back for the rest until it is too late. This was evident against Spain and it was again the case against Finland. Löw desperately needs to find a way to motivate the team from the sidelines or tactically adjust. The only thing Löw has done in times of crisis was to throw on more inconsistent strikers without fresh midfielders to feed them. (Something Berti Vogts use to do…) Löw needs to seriously consider what is going on before Germany end up competing for a playoff spot and losing another final.

Germany has three more games before 2008 is over. Two home World Cup qualification matches and a friendly against England in Berlin. It’s time for the whole team to step up on the road to putting another star on that jersey.