Germany

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Germany hosts South Africa in Leverkusen for an international friendly on September 5TH before welcoming Azerbaijan for a World Cup qualifier in Hannover on September 8TH. In the meantime there have been rumblings from Michael Ballack about a need for improvement by the nation team in order to seal automatic qualification and to seriously contend at the World Cup.

Yet, ever the optimist, Jogi Löw is of the opinion that Germany will naturally play better in the upcoming matches as the team will be together for 10 consecutive training days (alongside the U-21) and thus bound to show an improvement over the past few drab performances. Here is Löw’s predictable lineup.

Tor: Robert Enke (Hannover 96), Rene Adler (Bayer Leverkusen), Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04)

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

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

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

The notable exceptions in this selection are Marko Marin and Mesut Özil who have recently been on fire at Werder Bremen. Expect the two to combine to play 20 discombobulated minutes off from the substitute bench, whilst Heiko Westermann plays 90 minutes of poor passes and costly blunders in defense.

Löw’s inexplicable decision to keep nominating Westermann pairs well with his curious omission of Stefan Kießling – who has at the start of this Bundesliga season scored 4 goals in 4 matches. Perhaps his omission has something to do with the form of the ever-lucky at club-level only Mario Gomez, the now bench-warming Miro Klose, the recently uninspiring Lukas Podolski, and the even-less prolific Cacau.

In the goalkeeping department Tim Wiese is left out as he pleased. Manuel Neuer has been selected instead to warm the bench. Nonetheless, should Germany win automatic qualification each of the four keepers will get 90 minutes to prove themselves in the November fixtures before Löw plays it safe and selects Robert Enke for 2010.

Germany certainly has the players to be successful in this period of transition, but does Löw have the ability to make tough decisions? If Russia overcomes Wales and defeats Liechtenstein, then the question will soon be answered in Moscow.