Yes, but considering that Bayern Munich can clinch BL1 title if they win this weekend, they will be able to rotate players to keep them fresh. More of an issue for players on RM who will be battling to win their league as well as CL.
they can only clinch the titel this weekend if they win and Dortmund loses and Schalke doesn't win .. but yeah .. if not this weekend and then the next, i wouldn't count on the Munich players not being well rested
Bayern are 20 points clear in the Bundesliga, and are basically just playing for Champions League . Pep rotates his players, and will keep them fresh just like he did with his Spaniards at Barca. My hope for Germany is that we end up playing their B team . I think there are a few of the bigger sides we can match up with style wise to make it competitive (in fact none of Holland, Argentina, Italy, France, England , Uruguay, Chile or Portugal truly scare me...I think we could do some damage against them). But I think all off Germany, Brazil, and Spain (when playing a bit more direct like against Italy in the Euro finals) are practically unbeatable for us because of the style match ups and the quality of the attacking players they have to pull it off. These teams are absolute night mares when operating at pace, and under JK with him asking us to play more thoughtfully, they get a lot of chances to break on us
Germany A -------------------Götze---------------- ----------------------------------------- Schürrle-----------Özil---------Müller ----------------------------------------- -----------Schweini-----Kroos--------- ----------------------------------------- Schmelzer-Hummels-Boateng-Lahm ------------------Neuer----------------- a Germany B side -------------------Klose------------------ ------------------------------------------- Podolski---------Draxler----------Reus- ------------------------------------------- ----------L.Bender------(Khedira)------- ------------------------------------------- Jansen-Westermann-Merte-Großkreutz ---------------Weidenfeller--------------- A B-team would be better?
I'd think so...none of the Bayern players...we've had players on our squad do well vs. Draxler, Reus and Klose in the past...obviously Germany's B squad would still be favored especially since our CB's are pretty mediocre, Jermaine Jones along with Altidore are currently struggling but it'd definitely be preferred
Well, for one thing, we better a pseudo-B team already, and B, absolutely! Not that the B team isn't a good side, but the A team can beat anybody. The B team you list is older (Klose), getting less playing time (Podolski) and has a keeper that isn't named Neuer, and therefore might let in the odd goal or two. Not sure I agree with either of your lineups anyway. I don't see Ozil starting in his current form, and I don't think Kroos really operates as a holding midfielder. This is for any of the German fans (@BimmerBenz95, @ckl26, @White/Blue_since1860 ). Does Germany operate with a false nine? Again, I wouldn't put Goetze as a true nine, at least that is not how he plays at Munich. I understand that on any normal planet Muller, Schurrle, Draxler, Podolski, etc. would be the best strikers on any team, but this is Germany, the land of milk and strikers. I don't see Goetze as the prototypical German front man, not that he wouldn't kill us, but could get suffocated by a good central tandem of defenders. Editted: should've said beer and strikers
Reus is not on the B-team. He is a much better player than Schürrle and just because he was injured recently doesn't mean Schürrle takes his place. If both are fit for the WC Reus will start. He doesn't play on the rigth wing anyway. Not for Dortmund and not for the NT. That's where Schürrle plays for Chelsea these days, though.
Germany has some real trouble at the striker position: - Schürrle, Draxler and Podolski are not options for the center forward position. - Klose is too old and often injured. - Gomez was out for much of the season and just injured his knee again yesterday. He might be out for several weeks yet again. Who knows if he'll make the WC now. - Löw refuses to call up Kießling. But Kießling has lost his form anyway, ever since scoring that phantom goal against Hoffenheim. - For the last friendly against Chile Löw called up Lasogga, but Lasogga got injured in training before the game and hasn't played since then. Might be called up again for WC preparation. - So far Löw hasn't called up Volland who's the captain of the U21 and often plays striker there. He would be a very good option. - Müller sometimes plays striker for Bayern and is generally quite good at it. But for some reason Löw never plays him there. Müller would also be a threat in the air. - Götze sometimes plays striker for Bayern and handles it well enough most of the time. Löw seems to like it, so at the moment all points to him playing the center forward position at the WC.
I think he meant that a lot of countries would love to have a player the caliber of Schurrle on their team let alone the bench.
What about Max Kruse? And I don't agree with you that Podolski can't play striker. 46 international goals for Germany says otherwise.
Kruse hasnt shown to be a better option yet even though hes a fine player. Podolski isnt a CF and bagged majority of those goals out on the left. Löw will probably bring Podolski but Germany have better more dynamic players now.
Who knows. Löw has to somehow fit Kroos, Götze, Müller, Reus and Özil in our attacking line- up (with possibly Schürrle, Poldi, etc on the fringes). Someone is going to be left out in any case. Edit: Spelling
Poor Jogi, I feel for him. All that talent and only XI spots! We really should volunteer to take some of that talent off his hands.
It's actually not that good for team chemistry, I think. Especially when the club bosses get involved complaining about why this player is/isn't on the team. Though Spain have no problem with that. In the end quality trumps most things, I guess, unless you get players outright revolting like France 2010.
Sorry, completely forgot about Kruse. He hasn't been that good recently and wasn't called up for the Chile friendly. Who knows what Löw thinks of him at the moment. And yes, Podolski is a striker but he is at his best in a 4-4-2. Back when Germany played that formation he scored most of his international goals. Löw has tried him as a lone striker in a 4-2-3-1 but it didn't work so well and he was rather invisible.
http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1...hock-early-return-serious-knee-injury?cc=5901 says Sami Khedira is ahead of schedule in his return from injury.
Khedira and Falcao are rushing their recovery. That's not always a good idea, Holden did and look what happened.
@ckl26 or any other German and/or Bayern fan: Watching the CL game today and wondering when did Lahm become a central midfielder? Is this how he'll be deployed this summer?
This season under Guardiola: "the most intelligent player Ive ever coached". Löw copied and started Lahm as 6 in the last games as well. I guess it depends on whether Khedira is available or not. Also possible: it will be decided from game to game: LB/RB/DM. We wont get to know it before the game has started.