Wir spielen heute für Deutschland, wir spielen für die Fans. Aber wir spielen vor allem für Dich. Für einen guten Freund, durch dessen Tod wir alle noch ein Stückchen näher zusammengerückt sind.

We play today for Germany, we play today for the fans… but above all else we play today for you… for a good friend whose passing has brought us all a little bit closer. We are one team… and you will always remain a part of it.

Aaron Hunt has been rumored to be pursued by England. When was the last time you saw a volley like that? Right here. No wonder even England wants him – an accolade that has never been given to our players. Furthermore, Werder has had a great season thus far thanks to the creative triumvirate of Hunt, Marin, and Özil. These players have an understanding of each other extending from their club and it should be natural to play them together in a friendly – that is if they get a chance to play at all.

Maybe you have to just be consistently in form so that you can’t be ignored. Certainly that seems the case for Stefan Kiessling. After missing out for the last qualification match in October, Kiessling remains the Bundesliga’s top scorer and has finally made it back to the fold. Let’s hope this time his outing is not as unimpressive as the one against Norway.

Perhaps you need an unmistakeably impressive name like the one Thomas Müller has. Of course it also helps that Müller has living up to his name and performing consistenly whenever he is not suspended. Müller has a lot to learn, but he can be just the element of surprise sorely needed by Bayern at least.

Finally there is the strange case of Thomas Hitzlsperger. It has often been said that some of the best players do not visibly contribute to the team, but their presence somehow effects a better result. Dietmar Hamann for example for Liverpool in the miraculous 2005 Champions League Final did this. Hitzlsperger on the other hand has lately been benched because of his lack at form at Stuttgart. Considering that he is the team captain the action was quite an understatement. Maybe players like Mats Hummels have not been impressive as of late, but surely they deserve the nod over Hitzlsperger? Apparently not…

Let’s hope in any event the players selected redeem their nomination, contribute to the team, and live up to the jersey they are wearing….

The crowd was right to jeer a hapless first-half performance by an “experimental” German side in Hamburg in the final DFB 2010 World Cup qualification fixture. With a ninth win the 2010 qualification campaign would have been Germany’s most successful ever. Thanks to a determined Finnish side and some horrible performances by a team arranged in a hopelessly incoherent Euro 2008 style 4-2-2-2 the game ended 1-1. It was a fair reflection of the match even though Germany had several chances to win it in the dying minutes.

Adler was the only reason we did not lose. He could do nothing about the goal where Westermann watched and Lahm was simply too short to make a difference.

Beck had perhaps the most promising performance of the entire team. He was still surging forward at the end. He provided some great runs, a hard shot, and some deep crosses. He was caught out a couple of times, but his high work-rate throughout the match was commendable.

Friedrich did all right for this match. He made no glaring errors, played a very intelligent offside trap, and got out of some very dangerous situations. He should not have been playing so close to Adler, but that is more of a failure from the midfield that he could not compensate for. Overall he is still useful only in the substitute central defender capacity.

Westermann played like usual. He was caught rooted to the ground and nowhere near a Finland player for the goal. If he starts during the World Cup then he will cost us. His redeeming quality was that he was good going forward and some credit has to be given to him for the goal. The verdict is he should not be playing central defense!

Lahm was the most likely player to score a goal it seemed. During the first half he was essentially turned into a left-midfielder. He tried his best to cut in and break through the Finnish defense, but every time he passed the ball one of Hitzlsperger, Trochowski, or Cacau managed to lose it.

Trochowski was a twelfth man for Finland in the first half. He lost about every ball played to him. After he shifted to the right wing in the second half he was far more reliable, but nothing inspiring. He wasted his chance to shine at home in Hamburg.

Hitzlsperger should never be called again. Not only was he ineffective in his passing and retention, but also he might as well have not been there defensively. His performance is absolutely inexcusable as a defensive midfielder and even his pal Löw had to yank him off at half-time

Gentner didn’t really shine. He had a goal-shy performance probably because he didn’t want to be booed. Defensively he was better than the other midfielders, but that’s not saying much.

Ballack was not meant to be played in his old role or the entire match. He was stretched thin by his teammates. To compensate for the lack of Özil he had to go forward, create, and distribute in addition to defend the back four with the invisible Hitzlsperger.

Özil had an average game by his own standards. He lost the ball several times and wasted a few clear cut opportunities. He needs to work on his finishing. Still, without him the tying goal would not have happened. He is here to stay and will start guaranteed from now on along with Ballack.

Podolski at least saved us from a loss. His goal was fortunate and he had blown a few shots earlier. He was by no means spectacular in the unbalanced 4-4-2, so average that Lahm was often found in front of him during the game.

Klose missed the chance to one win it after a cross from Beck. His awareness and quick reaction was critical in creating the goal chance.

Cacau was ineffective and to be honest I am not sure what position he played. He was roaming around the length of the pitch putting in a mediocre touch here and a mediocre pass there. Maybe he would have played better with coordination around him, but on this showing he should not be called up again seeing as how there are much better striking options available.

Gomez is now in crisis. He had a few chances from set pieces, but his psychosis began to tell. Once again Klose showed him how it is done. Gomez is a target man who can’t finish, he does not have the ability to provide chances and his depression after spurning a chance ruins whatever rebound or subsequent chance he has. He needs to work out his problems, but not on the time of the national team.

Löw should be sent to Turkey for free after this display. The lineup was wrong and he was too scared to compensate once again. He could have given Marin some running time, but instead he selected his old favorites with disastrous effect. To be fair there was no way he could correct his faulty starting eleven. In order to prevent aggravating an injury Ballack had to come off in favor of Gentner. To save some face Özil and Klose had to be put on thus leaving Marin on the bench. I honestly wanted us to lose, because that way even he cannot forget the burn of picking his useless Stuttgart pal Hitzlsperger.

Adler – 8.5 : Adler was as good as a second goal. He was absolutely solid when called upon with a crucial one-on-one save and a string of excellent parries to deny Russia.

Boateng – 5.0 : By far not his best performance. Although both his yellow cards were key tactical fouls, he put the team in a perilous situation just when Russia were coming into the game. Nonetheless, this was his debut and hopefully Löw can use him correctly in the future as a CB.

Mertesacker – 6.0 : Job done not much else. He was good in the air and dealt with a few dangerous situations to his credit. Made a big flopping fall when he was out of position that nearly gifted a goal.

Westermann – 6.5 : Made a credible match. He was the better central defender. He started the game with a good Carsten Ramelow like run-and-shot to shake up the Russians a bit early on. He was imperious in the air and positioned well throughout most of the game. Of course he did make a poor decision in one of his clearances that nearly resulted in a goal, but that’s just classic Westermann.

Lahm – 7.0 : Solid display overall. Lahm is simply better on the left. He closed down the opposition well and made some good runs forward. The Russian attack adjusted by attacking on the flank where Lahm was not. Lahm had a good effort wide on goal after a trademark cut-ins from the left.

Schweini – 7.5 : Must have confused Russia with Portugal. Schweini put in a very attractive performance in a position he usually does not play so well in. He showcased some wonderful individual movements, combined well with the team, and most importantly held possession when needed. Maybe he thought he should actually live up to his potential for once. I am glad he picked this game to do it.

Ballack – 7.0 : Still the undisputed captain. Lead by example seems to be Ballack’s credo. After a really nasty looking foul it seemed Ballack needed to be replaced and Germany’s hopes for the night substantially lowered. Instead he clenched his teeth, walked it off, and harried his team to victory. He had a good chance to put the result beyond doubt near the end. Ballack is still the focal point of Germany hopes for 2010.

Rolfes – 7.0 : Replicated club form. It seems Löw is always bent on choosing one of Hitzlsperger or Rolfes for DM when better options like Hummels and Kehl are in waiting. Since the Hitzlsperger has less tacking ability than Rolfes, Löw made the right decision for this game. Rolfes has been in great form for his club lately and did a good job irritating Russia’s attack and breaking up play.

Podolski – 7.0 : Good passing for a striker. Löw might have gotten something right here on first try in playing Poldi in midfield in important games. Podolski provided a wonderful precision pass to Özil who then drew the Russian keeper. Otherwise he needs to improve his finishing ability.

Özil – 7.5 : Awake when it mattered. He drifted in and out and was pretty useless defensively, but provided the goal with great vision and his usual nimbleness. He was a bit unlucky not to get on the score-sheet with his drive from distance. An ever-improving Özil is crucial for 2010.

Klose – 7.5 : Did his usual thing. Klose is such a paradox. You wonder if he is even on the pitch for half the game and then he scores that crucial goal out of nowhere. Perhaps that explains his goal record of 48 in 96 appearances. That’s half isn’t it? Not bad. Now he is just a few goals away from being second only to Gerd Muller. As a reward he’ll have a nice warm place on the bench at Bayern

Friedrich – 5.5 : Brought his club along. Friedrich was not in form for this match as he was probably thinking about his relegation bound club. His frightening lack of pace showed and it nearly cost the team in a pretty clear penalty not given. He’ll be a better substitute in central defense for future reference, but even then he needs to get better. Then again, it wasn’t his fault Löw sent Beck to the stands.

Löw – 6.5 : Lucky. Löw fielded a good starting eleven in a good 4-4-1-1 tactical setup. On the flip-side, he chose to retain the lately mediocre Cacau and ever so Hitzlsperger while sending his two most potent offensive weapons of Beck and Marin to the stands. His first mistake led to his second. Boateng could not be substituted off at the half because Friedrich was not in shape as a right back. This showed as Löw hesitated to bring Friedrich on even after Boateng got sent off. Perhaps at that moment he fully realized he had shot himself in the foot by not retaining Beck. Unfortunately, it hasn’t dawned on Löw that he needs a real defensive midfielder. Rolfes was credible this time, but Hummels or even Westermann are better long term options. I honestly hope we lose to Finland so he finally sees that too- and does something about it.

With his 48TH national team goal Miroslav Klose (in 96 appearances) has not only secured Germany’s ticket to South Africa, but has also climbed to 3RD in the all time German goal table behind Gerd Müller (68) and Joachim Streich (52). Klose celebrated his 1-0 goal by somersaulting in the air and landing awkwardly – undoubtedly because of lack of practice at Bayern.

Germany has never lost a World Cup Qualifier away from home.
Germany has always qualified for every World Cup it has entered.
Germany’s biggest margin of victory ever was 16-0 against Russia in 1912.

Finally, a hard fought qualification campaign has always been a good omen for Germany – often foreshadowing the arrival of a great player.

1970 – Germany 3-2 Scotland – Gerd Müller
1990 – Germany 2-1 Wales – Thomas Häßler
2002 – Germany 4-1 Ukraine – Michael Ballack

The nominations…

Tor: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (FC Schalke 04), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)

Abwehr: Andreas Beck (1899 Hoffenheim), Jerome Boateng (Hamburger SV), Arne Friedrich (Hertha BSC), Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Marcel Schäfer (VfL Wolfsburg), Serdar Tasci (VfB Stuttgart), Heiko Westermann (FC Schalke 04)

Mittelfeld: Michael Ballack (FC Chelsea), Christian Gentner (VfL Wolfsburg), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Sami Khedira (VfB Stuttgart), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Mesut Özil (Werder Bremen), Simon Rolfes (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (FC Bayern München), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburger SV)

Angriff: Cacau (VfB Stuttgart), Mario Gomez (FC Bayern München), Miroslav Klose (FC Bayern München), Lukas Podolski (1. FC Köln)

This post sets out to tell its’ story.

Season 1965/1966 to 1966/1967

Here’s the template from which to start. Notice the single curl over his right eye. Great things will eventually grow from it.

For the time being though, Netzer focused on perfecting his football skills. His Borussia Mönchengladbach side had just won promotion to the Bundesliga and would soon be synonymous with great attacking football. The team finished its’ first two Bundesliga seasons 13th and 8th respectively. Netzer also made his first steps in the German national team debuting in October 1965 in a friendly against Austria.

Season 1967/1968 to 1968/1969

Netzer started to add some depth and integrate the single rebelish curl into the system. At this point he can pass as the perfect son-in-law.

Netzer was in the process of testing the potential for commercial exploitation of his profession. Back in 1965 he had already started the publication of a stadium newspaper called “Fohlenecho” (still published today). His conservative hair style clearly indicates that he was overall still tapping in the dark though. His rise to prominence and the performances of his team would soon make him see the light. After finishing 3rd in 1968 and 1969, Borussia Mönchengladbach were ready to shape the Seventies and Netzer was ready for stardom.

Season 1969/1970 to 1970/1971

His trademark special side parting is starting to shine through, as does his marketing prowess. By 1970/1971 it’s becoming clear that he has intentions to go for length.

On the pitch things couldn’t go much better. Mönchengladbach won back to back Bundesliga titles – a first in the young league’s history and Netzer was starting to get more game time in the national team. A business plan also started to come together, which included complementing his work-in-progress hair with a ready-to-go Porsche and a night club called “Lovers Lane”. The Porsche ended up being an invaluable indicator for groupies hoping to catch a glimpse of Netzer at his night club.

Season 1971/1972 to 1972/1973

By 1971 every single hair had fallen into place, so all that was left to do was adding just that little bit of extra length to perfect his signature look. A task completed in time for the 1972/1973 season.

Netzer eventually connected all the remaining dots. Off the pitch he was dating a supermodel/abstract artist and did just about little enough to deny rumors of an affair with an actress to stay relevant in the boulevard. On the pitch his Borussia Mönchengladbach side had to temporarily make way for a certain Bayern Munich. But the two teams combined would end up strolling to Germany’s first European Championship title in 1972 – and beating England for the first time at Wembley along the way. Netzer would finish third in that year’s Ballon D’Or awards – behind Gerd Müller and Franz Beckenbauer. By the end of the 1972/1973 season, Netzer felt he had done and seen it all in Germany and decided to move on to Real Madrid. Borussia Mönchengladbach had reached the DFB-Pokal final against Cologne, which ought to be Netzer’s last game for his club. Just that the team’s coach Hennes Weisweiler wasn’t too enthused about his player’s latest career decision and benched him. The final turned out to be end-to-end stuff and one of the best in the competitions history, yet neither side could score the winner. The game, tied at 1-1, went into extra time. Then Netzer decided he had enough of it, substituted himself and scored the winning goal three minutes later. The legend was complete.

A happy 65th birthday Günter Netzer!

Wins against South Africa and Azerbaijan were expected this past international week. What wasn’t were the positive signals that Germany is gaining momentum ahead of the World Cup. Still there are persisting questions regarding the Nationalmannschaft ahead of the crucial game in Moscow against Russia. For now let’s explore the winners and losers of this past week.

Joachim Löw : Vindicated. Löw has taken quite a bit of criticism lately from the media about his selection methods and tactical abilities. He responded by starting a surprisingly refreshing lineup in a hybrid 4-5-1/4-3-3 system against South Africa. He followed up with some influential substitutions against (ranked 139TH and later down to 10-men) Azerbaijan, which arguably turned the game around. The verdict on his abilities as Bundestrainer is still out there, but Germany has finally returned to playing the football necessary to compete on the world stage.

Mesut Özil : Superstar. The game against South Africa was probably the only chance Özil had to make his case and shine for 2010. At such a young age it’s extremely difficult to perform on demand – just ask Sebastian Deisler. Özil has thus far thrived on the pressure and has seized the opportunity well. In fact, he might have already secured himself a permanent starting position on the German team for the World Cup. Özil crafted a man-of-the-match performance against South Africa and followed it up with a quieter effective game against Azerbaijan. The future is bright for this Gelsenkirchener and the plaudits are already flowing in from far and wide. Michael Ballack even predicts Özil as his successor one day. Germany has been sorely lacking a player like Özil and it is a relief that he has finally arrived in style.

Michael Ballack : Still Capitano. Say what you will about Ballack, but he remains the undisputed leader of the German team. Özil lauded Ballack for commanding him on the field, and indeed it was Ballack who worked with Löw to craft the new midfield system. Although contemplating retirement after the World Cup, Ballack’s experience and guidance are instrumental for Germany’s success through 2010.

René Adler : Ready. Adler was not really troubled against South Africa and was again not really tested against Azerbaijan. Nonetheless, his split second reactions to the few dangerous situations in both games may well have saved Germany’s blushes. With Robert Enke now sick at the worst time Adler looks to be on against Russia come October.

Phillip Lahm : Don’t Know What’s Good For Him. It’s plain to see that since moving to the right side of defense Lahm has been less spectacular going forward. Löw must be congratulated for forcing Lahm back into the left against Azerbaijan as it instantly paid dividends resulting in a goal.

Miroslav Klose : Level With Klinsmann. He might have been sitting on the bench at Bayern. He might have been goalless for the season. Yet the fact remains, Klose is the most clinical striker we currently have. Even though he is still not 100% fit, he has through his brace against Azerbaijan shown that his class is permanent. He is now level with his former trainers Jürgen Klinsmann and Rudi Völler in the all-time German international scoring list. Klose continues to show up when called upon and Löw has made the right decision by sticking with him.

Heiko Westermann : Please No. Westermann for better or worse looks to be present in central defense for the game in Moscow. He was (for once) solid in defense (against Azerbaijan only). With Arne Friedrich perennially injured and Sedar Tasci always making the occasional slip-up Westermann looks to be the better choice – at least until Jérôme Boateng can be integrated. Westermann better put up a good performance against Russia or the blame for missing the automatic qualification will likely rest on his shoulders. Let’s not forget that it was his abject defending against Finland that Germany is still not qualified.

Andreas Beck : Replacing Lahm. Beck has no doubt benefited from the relatively poor form of Marcel Schäfer at LB. This means Lahm will take the left while Beck will start against Russia on the right.

Marcel Schäfer : Does He Play Better On The Right? Schäfer has not lived up to his billing as the future Phillip Lahm. After two games starting on the left he has contributed very little going forward and looked ineffective in defense. Lahm had to displace him against Azerbaijan and the difference told. He might even be behind Marcell Jansen at this point.

Bastian Schweinsteiger : Lost. Schweini has been out of shape lately for the national team. Poor positioning, misplaced passes, and slow reaction has plagued the young veteran. Löw’s erroneous indecision about whether Schweini is a winger or a defensive midfielder is not helping his current form. (He is neither.) Nonetheless, who else is going to pummel Portugal should the need arise? Best wishes to a speedy recovery.

Mario Gomez : Definitely Not Inzaghi. Gomez has had a brief spell of luck lately. He has scored in all of his recent games despite all being sitters. Unfortunately, sitters don’t happen too often and he doesn’t score enough of those either to erase the disappointed expression on his face he has had since 2008. He wasn’t bad versus Azerbaijan and Germany do not have a better target man, but he is second to Klose if not third to Poldi. Indeed, Gomez must have felt mighty mixed up after Klose was so clinical – as it might also mean bench time for Mario at Bayern.

Berti Vogts : For Old Times. Azerbaijan are now at the bottom of the Group 4 qualification table below Liechtenstein. One can argue that Vogts hasn’t had enough time with the Azerbaijani players, that he only has 200 players to choose from, and that his team have been unlucky to not have scored more than their one and only goal against Finland. Maybe Vogts just isn’t such a great coach? He was fired by both Scotland and Nigeria. Furthermore, it was under him that the current German football crisis developed. With all the great German players at his disposal he only managed one title, but at least three embarrassingly clueless loses. Perhaps, he can redeem himself by springing a surprise on Russia when they meet in Baku.

Russia : Winning But Not 100% Either. The way Russia has been playing recently leaves plenty to be desired. Two mediocre performances against Liechtenstein and a sigh of relief against a young Wales does not make a threatening impression. Nonetheless, Russia has many advantages going into the October blockbuster. They have a wealth of gifted players, arguably the best modern football coach, home support, and familiarity with Fieldturf. Indeed, Russia looks formidable in Moscow, but the pressure is clearly on them. If Russia do not win against Germany, then for all intents and purposes Germany is qualified outright or on goal difference. Should Germany go ahead in Moscow and do not fall asleep Russia will be frantic in front of their fans.

Germany can relax a bit more and can even afford a draw, but there is still much to do at home before the game on October 10TH.

Friendly Highlights

Qualification Highlights

The Bundesliga season has only entered its third match day, but already the race for the Number 1 jersey in South Africa has heated up again. Timo Hildebrand has declared his intention to compete for a place in South Africa, despite Joachim Löw’s insistence that only Robert Enke, Tim Wiese, René Adler, and Manuel Neuer are in contention. Tim Wiese has perhaps made it easier on his competition by curiously declaring his intention not to be called up for the upcoming qualifier against Azerbaijan and friendly against South Africa. He stated that he did not want to be jeered by the whistles of Leverkusen and Hannover fans. At current Bundesliga leaders Schalke, Felix Magath has struck out at Löw for not nominating Neuer for the previous away fixture to Azerbaijan. Meanwhile Löw has stated that all four goalkeepers in contention have the common weakness of not being authoritative enough at a world-class level in the penalty box.

For once I completely agree with Löw. Firstly, Hildebrand is out for good. He was never been great and he has no case for the DFB again after his public outbursts before the Euros. Unfortunately, all of our current goalies make me nervous one way or another. Enke gets scored on day in and day out. It’s nice that he has lots of practice, but psychologically this can be dangerous at a big event. Adler is young and as demonstrated in the friendly against England he simply does not have the authority in the box to pummel his opponents. Neuer similarly, as seen in the U-21 Euros this summer, has an aversion to confidently put the ball out of danger from crosses and set-pieces. Finally, there is Wiese. His antics have brought him a lot of detractors, yet he is the only goalie out of the four in European competition this season. Despite his quick reflexes he makes the occasional costly error. Furthermore if he can’t handle whistles how is he going to deal with the vuvuzelas? The bottom line is Wiese will be there in South Africa as a goalkeeper. Let’s just hope Neuer can move to Manchester United and claim two Number 1 jerseys before June.

The trip to Azerbaijan, further east in longitude than the UAE, is not yet another crazy promotion by the DFB. Germany plays a double-header against Azerbaijan for World Cup Qualifying 2010. Löw reportedly did not want to make any experiments for the fixtures. His reasoning is that despite the good showing of some players in the U-21 the Bundesliga season is yet to start. So here is the lineup for the first August 12 fixture in Baku, Azerbaijan.

DFB-Kader

Tor: Robert Enke (Hannover 96), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)

Abwehr: Arne Friedrich (Hertha BSC Berlin), Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Marcel Schäfer (VfL Wolfsburg), Serdar Tasci (VfB stuttgart), Heiko Westermann (FC Schalke 04)

Mittelfeld: Michael Ballack (FC Chelsea), Christian Gentner (VfL Wolfsburg), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Marcell Jansen (Hamburger SV), Sami Khedira (VfB Stuttgart), Mesut Özil (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (FC Bayern München), Piotr Trochowski Hamburger SV)

Angriff: Cacau (VfB Stuttgart), Mario Gomez , Miroslav Klose (beide FC Bayern München), Lukas Podolski (FC Köln)

True to his word there are not many surprises in the lineup.

Löw has gone back to the old guard for goalkeeping positions. A little disturbing given that Enke’s team has already been knocked out of the DFB-Pokal and that poorly-positioned Wiese is there instead of Neuer. Nonetheless, we are playing Azerbaijan and Wiese deserves a go.

I suppose the U-21s are just that before the season starts. Still it seems a lot more dangerous to experiment with Tasci and Westermann rather than Boateng, Hummels, and Höwedes. Another blast from the past is Löw’s mention of Friedrich as a possibility on the right. This is temporary certainly?

On the other hand, Frings has been dropped with the reality that he will probably not be back again soon and not be fit for 2010. It’s good that he’s finally set aside, but it seems that there is still no replacement midfield enforcer. Löw mentions Hitzlsperger as Frings’ competition, but Hitzlsperger is at the end of the day a decent distributor of the ball at CM. The same goes for Khedira who is finally back in the setup. Maybe Gentner can have a shot at it? Özil got the nomination he deserved and Ballack is back in training at Chelsea. Hopefully the former will play a lot more than the latter given that we are playing Berti Vogt’s Azerbaijan.

We’ll see what happens, but for now back to enjoying what’s left of summer!