FIFA World Cup 2010
Germany
 GermanyGerman Football Association (Deutscher Fußball-Bund-DFB) Confederation: UEFA Head coach: Joachim Löw Captain: Michael Ballack Top scorer: Gerd Müller FIFA ranking: 6 World Cup Appearances: 16 Team Colors: Best Results
World Cup Champions, 1954, 1974, 1990 European Championship Champions, 1972, 1980, 1996 Confederations Cup 3rd, 2005 Olympic medal Bronze, 1988 |
Germany, an icon in soccer, with years of experience and strong tactics, has more than earned its ticket to the 2010 World Cup.
With three World Cup championships, Germany is a not just a candidate but a favorite for the title. The German team won its first Cup in Switzerland in 1954; the second was at home in 1974; the third and most recent title was in Italy in 1990. The squad, led by Joachim Löw, now goes to South Africa looking for one more trophy.
Germany’s strength in scoring lies in the figures of Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Michael Ballack. Ballack, the team’s captain, will try to guide the team to its fourth title, a feat that would ensure him a place with the greatest players in German football – players such as Fritz Walter, Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthäus, key figures in Germany’s three previous Cups.
Germany also boasts a cadre of young players whose promise has been fulfilled in international soccer: Miroslav Klose, Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski. These players have become the pillars of the team.
In the Korea-Japan World Cup of 2002, the German team reached the final but lost against Brazil; in Germany in 2006 the team took third place; and in Austria and Switzerland in the 2008 Euro Cup, Germany took second place.
Team
Michael Ballack, Germany’s 33-year-old captain, plays in Chelsea. He has defended the German colors 97 times. Now he is looking forward to what may very well be his last possible stint at the title in South Africa.
Klose, a part of Bayern Munich’s lineup, is one of Germany’s favorite players; his fans expect a lot from him in this World Cup. The striker has achieved 48 goals in 93 international matches. The Polish-born player is the third top scorer in German history, overcome only by the legendary Gerd Müller (68 goals), and Joachim Streich (55).
Qualifying Stage
The team played in the qualifying round of Group 4 in the UEFA, facing Russia, Finland, Wales, Azerbaijan, and Liechtenstein. Finland proved to be the most difficult challenge for the German team; both in the first and second leg, the Finlanders were ahead in the score. However, all three goals for Klose in Helsinki, as well as a powerful push in the final minutes of the team’s home game, allowed the Germans to save two points.
The German team also had to raise its game to face another strong opponent in the group: Russia. After a 2-1 win in Dortmund, the Germans traveled to Moscow, where it took a 1-0 victory; Klose scored the goal. At the end of this match, Mr. Guus Hiddink, a renowned soccer strategist, predicted Germany a favorite for the South Africa title.
Head Coach
Joachim Löw, Germany’s head coach, strategist, and former player, had an incredible career as a striker, playing in clubs such as VfB Stuttgart, SC Freiburg and FC Frauenfeld. Löw later worked with Jurgen Klinsmann, giving the German strategist an opportunity to lead the national team. On July 12, 2006 Löw accepted a position as Germany’s head coach; in 2008, he led the team to the Euro Cup and to the World Cup. These days, Löw is looking to bring the team back to its past glories.