Germany
Appearances at World Cup finals: 16
Best ever performance: Winner (1954, 1974, 1990)
Famous moment in WC history: The Miracle of Berne was a decisive moment for German football, as coming as defeated from World War II, they managed to overcome the odds and beat the favorites Hungary by 3-2 in the final.
The Lowdown: The 3rd place Germany managed playing on home territory at the last World Cup was as good as a spirited German side could have done in 2006. For 2010, the team has gone through a major revamp, under the helm of Joachim Low, the successor to Jurgen Klinsmann, and should be able to provide a couple of surprises (if anyone could call it that). You see, even in their worst possible form as in WC 1994 and 1998, they managed to get to the quarter finals.
For those who believe history repeats itself, the 30 years since Germany last won the World Cup is the most they have ever gone, as they didn’t repeat the feat of 1954 until 1974 at their own home.
Leaving numbers aside, on the field, the Germans lack a leader, since Ballack will miss the World Cup. Bastian Schweinsteiger will have to pick up his game, reduce his unforced errors in midfield and help coordinate the attacking game, a job which no one else seems able to do. At the back, Low is employing a zonal defense and with Friedrich, Lahm, Mertesacker, only the right back is in doubt, and all three have more than 60 caps in their career.
Apart from the creative problems, Germany will face problems with their strikers. Miroslav Klose has been used mainly as a sub in Bayern Munchen, as has Mario Gomez, since Ivica Olic and Thomas Muller have taken their place in the starting eleven. The same competition will take place in the national team, as Low seems to prefer Lukas Podolski linking up midfield and offence.
Qualification: Germany had only Russia to face as a serious challenge in the fourth qualification group in the European zone. However, they were not that confident as in their second game against Finland they managed to salvage a point, with Klose scoring a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw. In the next game, they managed to beat Russia 2-1 and this was the decisive three-pointer, as they didn’t lose another point up to the final game, when having ensured qualification, they drew 1-1 with Finland. Their qualifying campaign showed that they were able to play offensive attractive football, but they could also employ defensive tactics, as showed against Russia in Moscow last October when Germany took the lead in the 35th minute through a Klose strike and managed to keep the score and secure first place.
Top scorer in qualifying: Miroslav Klose (7 goals)
All-time World Cup finals top scorer: Gerd Muller (14 goals)
The Manager: Joachim Low had a less than impressive playing and coaching career, until 2004, when Klinsmann surprisingly selected him as his assistant in the national team. They became close after meeting each other at coaching school. He is quite flexible in his tactics, employing a zonal defense and a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Podolski usually being the link with the sole striker. Podolski and Schweinsteiger are the two players that Low considers most important in the squad, as the Polish-born forward provides the flair that the German team is missing and Schweinsteiger displays both quality and fabled German resilience after an excellent season for Bayern.
Key Player: Schweinsteiger played the entire season as a central midfielder in Bayern Munchen, after Van Gaal decided to use the German international as the cornerstone of the near treble winners. Schweinsteiger is more mature than ever and if he displays the skills he displayed during the season, he will surely be crowned the next captain of the national team.
One to Watch: Mesut Ozil, only 21 years old, has a chance to appear in the starting lineup of Germany as his quality is enough to make a difference. Having played 45 games with Werder Bremen during the season, scoring 11 goals, he is more than ready to shine on an international level.
On the move?: Miroslav Klose has suffered from injuries during the season, but he couldn’t win the confidence of Luis Van Gaal, so he will be looking to move after three years at Bayern Munchen. His options may be limited, being 32 years old, but a good performance in the World Cup, might get him back in the front stage.
