Injury Update: Michael Ballack doubtful for Final

Jan, Jogi has spoken that he could play Borowski or Schweinsteiger in Ballack’s position - http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-eurogermanyballack_pix&prov=reuters&type=lgns. What do you make of that? I can’t even think of anything after reading the news that Ballack has not been in training since Friday.

I only remembered back then in one of the Germany matches I watched (I think it’s the semi-final match against Turkey), the commentator was saying something like Germany never loses when Schweinsteiger is playing.

We can only hope for a quick recovery for the captain, like you said. Ballack had already missed the opener of the World Cup two years ago and in 2002, the World Cup final against Brazil but it’s because of suspension. What is this, man?

Posted from  Singapore

Oh this is terrible news, I’d like to see both teams at full strength!

He will be fit and be ready for Spain believe me!

Posted from  United States

Thierry, Spain’s David Villa is more or less out for the final. And he has been the top goal-scorer so far in this tournament.

I don’t like what the Bild website is saying about Ballack’s possible absence…

“Germany is trembling. Michael Ballack has a calf injury and his participation in the Euro final against Spain is under threat,” reported Bild daily’s internet edition, adding Ballack had been complaining of pain since early Friday.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fbleuro2008gerespballack&prov=afp&type=lgns

Please say that this is actually all a joke!

Posted from  Singapore

Okay…more details on Ballack’s injury - http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=552246&cc=4716

Jogi’s still not writing off Ballack’s chances. The team doctors had said that there is still a chance Ballack could play.

I want to look at a glass half full of water, not half empty…this is really testing me.

Posted from  Singapore

“Als ich mit Michael Ballack gesprochen habe, war er nicht niedergeschlagen, sondern optimistisch, obwohl die Chance nicht sehr groß ist, dass er spielen kann. Die Wadenmuskulatur ist stark verhärtet, die Entzündung und die Schwerzen haben sich bisher nicht gebessert.”

Well direct from the DFB site. Low talked to Ballack and Ballack was not pessimistic about his chances, (though not great), to play in the final. The muscle has hardened and the inflammation has not improved.

The silver lining is, everyone on the team is motivated now, and it would be all the greater if they won the cup on Sunday without him.

I’ve followed this team through thick and thin, and one little injury is not going to stop them from overturning a decade of under-achievement.

Du wirst niemals untergehn, weil wir in guten wie in schlechten Zeiten zu einander stehn!

Oliver Bierhoff sounds more optimistic on http://www.kicker.de, calling Ballack missing practice a precautionary measure.

Denn die Schonung beim letzten Training ist wohl in erster Linie eine Vorsichtsmaßnahme gewesen: “Wir wollten heute nicht das Risiko eingehen.”

We will have to see tomorrow…im confident he’ll play.

All we can do now is to hope that the capitan will be able to play. And Nick, what you said is similar to what I had read.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fbleuro2008gerespballackloew&prov=afp&type=lgns

What Loew said - “I expect a win, of course, it’s been a long, hard road and the tournament has taken up a lot of strength. But we will mobilise all our forces for the match to bring the trophy back to Germany.”

This time round in Euro08 final, Spain are the favourites. Germany…always play well when they are the underdogs. Nick, I had been following this team since WC06 and they had shown me that they always never gave up. I hope for the sake of the final in Vienna, they will pull through.

Posted from  Singapore

Diana It’s more than the lofty cliches of belief and hope this time.

Back in 1998 during the Yugoslavia group stage match with Germany down 0-2, I was confident that they would come back. Sure enough they tied the game 2-2 through Bierhoff, who along with Klinsmann pulled yet another miracle against Mexico in the second round.

After the team lost to Croatia 0-3 in the quarterfinals (primarily Vogts fault!) it has been really hard to not be more than a little worried inside EVERY time they play all but the weakest of teams.

When Germany beat Argentina in 2006 I bolted out the door and screamed for joy, I was not alone, Freiburg was paralyzed in disbelief. Germany was back! There may have been doubts along the way since then, but the games against the Czech Republic and Portugal demonstrated Germany has what it takes to win again.

No matter what happens on Sunday the team showed that with enough self-belief and motivation they finally have the ability and quality to win against anyone. The team will prevail with or without Michael Ballack. (The epitome of a Greek hero?)

Though this victory will be for every underdog, I am ready to be confident again. Deutschland wird Europameister.

If Schweini play OM then who will play his RM position? Trochowski, Odonkor, Borowski or my-oh-my Fritz?
Or will we have a combo of Klose + Kuranyi?
Can you guys disscuss those in more detail plz? I find it very interesting, though doubtful :))

Posted from  Australia

I would bet my house on Ballack starting the final.

Posted from  United States

Diana, it’s not “when Schweinsteiger plays, Germany never loses” (if that is the case, he would be starting the tournament from the start) but it’s “Schweini’s got an impressive record that is once he scores, Germany never loses”. So let’s hope his scoring momentum still holds up until tonight.

I think Ballack will kill to play tonight. He is dying to end his “second” curse (the 2002 CL finals, the 2002 WC finals, this season’s EPL and CL finals) and he will want to try and lead Germany to glory.

Posted from  Singapore

By the way, if Ballack can’t make it, Klose would take the armband right? Do you think he’s got what it takes to lead the German team then?

Posted from  Singapore

I hope Ballack will start the game on Sunday!
He missed ALL of the last games for Germany in WC06 against Portugal for injury and WC02 for suspension!

Posted from  New Zealand

‘I think Ballack will kill to play tonight. He is dying to end his “second” curse (the 2002 CL finals, the 2002 WC finals, this season’s EPL and CL finals) and he will want to try and lead Germany to glory.’
There was a report in The Sunday Times today (not sure if you saw it, Intan) on whether Ballack be able to end his ‘nearly’ status. I think the report went to print before the news of Ballack’s injury was broke (given I looked all over the paper, there was nothing on that). Looking at the report, it reminded me again that he had always come so close in not only in the Premier League (League Cup went to Tottenham, the Premier League title went to Manchester United), also in major tournaments like you said. The paper did published a list of the times when Ballack was the ‘nearly-man’.

Intan, Klose was the captain when they were playing away at Wales in their Euro 2008 qualifier. Not bad as a captain for me at that time. And if I am not wrong, Klose did scored then as well.

Posted from  Singapore

Things are looking better:
http://www.goal.com/de/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=756223

Posted from  Germany

Karl, are you really sure? I may have a heart attack, you know.

Posted from  Singapore

Erleichterung bei der deutschen Mannschaft und den deutschen Fans. Kapitän Michael Ballack wird im Finale gegen Spanien (20.45 Uhr/LIVE!-Ticker) spielen. Bundestrainer Joachim Löw hat Ballacks Namen bei der Teamsitzung bereits auf die Aufstellungstafel geschrieben.

This is from Bild. Ballack is one the game sheet.

“Karl, are you really sure? I may have a heart attack, you know.”
No, I’m absoluteley not sure but there are various rumors on bild.de and spiegel.de. Somebody has seen his name on the blackboard.
Frings may be in for Rolfes from start.

Posted from  Germany

sorry, didn’t see nick’s comment. There some news updates on bild.de now.

Posted from  Germany

Jan has the latest post on what the Bild website is saying, Karl.

Posted from  Singapore