On the Reus v Draxler discussion, I think Reus is the better player right now but in my opinion based on what I have seen that Draxler has the higher ceiling. He is just as skilful and intelligent, but is also a harder worker. I think the next couple of years will be crucial in determining who gets the nod, but either way Podolski's days should be numbered.
Thinking out loud here and I know he is currently with the U21s, but I would be curious to see how long it will take for young Kevin Volland to get a look during a stretch of less than important qualifiers. Now he has some ability to finish up top.
He should join Dortmund to make things easier for him when it comes to catching Hans-Joachim Löw's attention.
I certainly don't think it is unreasonable for Volland to join a bigger club in the near future. While his production dropped this year, he has a lot of promise.
Infact, I (and several other BVB supporters on this forum) have wanted Volland to join Dortmund for a while now. His talent and his versatility would be great assets to have, both in terms of - potentially - strengthening the first team and enhancing the squad depth.
Well our guys just finished our season too. And Podolski is easily your B team. Didn't this same team thrash Equador a few days ago?
Going through the whole lineup: Ter Stegen: C-string Jansen: C-string Höwedes: B-string Mertesacker: B-string (sadly) L. Bender: B-string midfielder, C-string fullback S. Bender: C-string Reinartz: D-string Podolski: B/C string (Draxler started over him in recent qualifiers) Draxler: E-string CAM, B/C string LW Schürrle: C-string Klose: B-string (transitioning out of the NT's plans as he's slowing down substanttially) E: 1 D: 1 C:' 4 B: 4 A: 0 Overall, that's about a B/C team. If we went through the bench, its a C team with a touch of B.
I was at the match with Cris09, Shealygg, Eissman, and cwcoach. Great group of guys and a relatively fun match to watch. You could certainly tell one team cared about this match more than the other, and the American fans at the stadium were really hyped up. The atmosphere in the stadium was pretty good for a friendly match.
Sorry I missed out on meeting you lot. I had hoped to make the trip, but work had other ideas. And you nailed the bolded comment.
Wait. Waht? Where? I didn't see any panzers. Did I miss them? Where is H-P Briegel when u need him. Overall that was a B Team with heavy shades of C. Regardless of their pedigree (or lack thereof) the effort of some players was surprisingly low. Way to screw a good opportunity. Feel kinda bad for Ter Stegen. Guy commited every blunder possible in his national team appearances so far.
Think there's still a notable difference in overall fitness because not everyone in your team plays abroad. And again, most of the Germany players have never played together before. I would also say at this point Podolski is notably behind three players. And so is Mertesacker so, so much for B-team quality. But anyway, I don't really understand your point. I think this result was pretty much expected given the variables involved. The U.S. was motivated for this big match from the beginning and capitalized on two defensive errors and then Podolski tried to mark Dempsey unsuccessfully for a superb goal. Given our defensive fragilities, the fact that Löw doesn't put much emphasis on defense to begin with, combined with calling up players that don't really merit a call-up or at least the chances they keep getting (Podolski, Mertesacker, Westermann, Aogo, Reinartz) the final result was expected.
what do mertesacker,ter stegen and the green uniforms have in common I blame the green uniforms. they are ugly and nothing good has come from them since 1990.