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Friendly: Germany vs Belgium

August 13th, 2008 | By: angela | 14 Comments »

In their first match since Jens Lehmann announced his international retirement, Jogi Löw is preparing or the friendly against Belgium on August 20. Not only will the team’s goal keeping position see a new face, but so will several other positions. Tim Borowski (Bayern Munich), David Odonker (Real Betis), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin) and Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen) are all out due to injury.

There really weren’t any surprises when Löw announced his squad.
Goalkeepers: Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Robert Enke (Hannover 96)

Defenders: Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid), Philipp Lahm, Marcell Jansen (both Bayern Munich), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Serdar Tasci (VfB Stuttgart), Heiko Westermann (Schalke).

Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Bayer Leverkusen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Jermaine Jones (Schalke), Marko Marin (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich).

Strikers: Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (VfB Stuttgart), Kevin Kuranyi (Schalke), Patrick Helmes (1. FC Cologne).

Marko Marin, Patrick Helmes and Jermaine Jones were all cut shortly before Euro 2008 and Stuttgart’s Serdar Tasci gets his shot at defense in the absence of both Friedrich and Mertesacker.

Tags: Belgium, Friendlies, Germany, Germany National Team, Germany National Team News

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Comments

By Anna | August 14th, 2008 at 4:52 am

I really hope Serdar will get his chance, he’s been having so much bad luck with the national team before, and Jogi mentioned him a few times as a defender he’d like to see in the team.

Posted from Germany

By diana | August 14th, 2008 at 6:57 am

‘I really hope Serdar will get his chance’
Same sentiments.

If I am not wrong, he was last called up for the friendly against England last year but didn’t featured.

Posted from Singapore

By diana | August 14th, 2008 at 9:50 am

Adler’s having shoulder injury during training. Found that out on the Bayer Leverkusen Offside - http://leverkusen.theoffside.com/bayer-leverkusen-team-news/rene-adler-out-for-first-match.html

So…what’s next now?

Posted from Singapore

By Artu | August 15th, 2008 at 9:47 am

Call up Timo Hildebrand! Helmes is actually in Leverkusen now

By Angela | August 15th, 2008 at 5:50 pm

It looks like Weise will be in goal.

Posted from United States

By Phil | August 15th, 2008 at 11:31 pm

where’s mertesacker? and why’s poldi permanently in the midfield?

Posted from Canada

By Angela | August 16th, 2008 at 8:11 pm

Mertesacker is injured. I think Poldolski has been moved to accommodate for the amount of strikers that are already on the team and Podolski can be effective in midfield.

Posted from United States

By Chitra | August 17th, 2008 at 12:53 pm

As effective as Podolski is in the midfield I still think he’s even better up front. Ballack was off injured in the Chelsea opener, I wonder if he’ll feature?

Posted from Trinidad And Tobago

By Nick | August 20th, 2008 at 4:23 pm

Marin was great and all in all not a bad performance by Germany. Though PLEASE drop Kuryani and never play Kuranyi and Gomez together again.

By Luke | August 20th, 2008 at 5:59 pm

An adequate performance. Enke didn’t do himself any favors I don’t think–he looked unsure of himself in some spots. Van Buyten was shown up on both goals, which is not surprising to me, at least. I thought Lahm played a strong match overall, but Gomez and Kuranyi didn’t look any more comfortable than in the Euro. Good to see Marin fulfilling his promise, and I think there’s reason for the hype we’ve seen for him here.

Posted from United States

By Angela | August 20th, 2008 at 9:44 pm

Luke: We’re big fat Marin fans over here at the Germany blog.

Posted from United States

By diana | August 21st, 2008 at 1:45 am

Aye aye, Angela. Maybe we should start a fan club or something?

Posted from Singapore

By Lynn | August 23rd, 2008 at 12:46 am

@Diana: Marin’s really starting to grow on me; I wouldn’t mind! (And it would be great news if he’s still single!)

Posted from Singapore

By diana | August 23rd, 2008 at 2:58 am

‘(And it would be great news if he’s still single!)’
Oh. my. goodness. Lynn, ROFL! I just can’t stop laughing over that for some reason! I read that he is 19. Not sure if he has a girlfriend though. I seemed to have read somewhere that he has but I cannot confirm this. Don’t get disappointed if it’s really true.

I can be a little conservative myself when it comes to such matters and so imagine I was like thinking when I looked at the age - ‘He’s two years younger than me!’. Just had my birthday last week actually.

Posted from Singapore

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