Well.....I think Germany is really going to take this game 100%, Schweinie is back with full force and he said it would be stupid for them to start their vacation on a losing streak. Germany also wants to win 3rd place because they are playing at home and well....its the least they can do as a team. Mexico wants to rightfully salvage something out of this tournament also, especially since they actually deserved to be in the final more than Brazil or Argentina. Here is the lineup I would start: ----------------Kahn---------------------- Friedrich---Huth---Mertesacker--Hitzlsperger Deisler---------Frings-------Schweinsteiger -----------------Ballack------------------- -------Hanke----------------Podolski-------- I know Kuranyi will start over Hanke but I just feel as if Hanke would get much more done were he to start.
Arne is out for the tournament, it is a huge blow for Germany, I think he's the only defender who has experience and he's been Germany's best defender in the tournament, just ahead of Mertesacker. I want Hanke to start just for once, I don't care about this game, give the lad a chance. They should start Engelhardt too instead of Frings, just to give him a lookin and see how well he performs under pressure.
Damn...real shame about Friedrich.....Hinkel will take his place...he played really well against Argentina.
Yer I think Frings' spot should be given to someone else. Frings seemed rather lacklustre in the past few games. Maybe it's just me. Also, has Owomoyela and Brdaric played yet? Perhaps they can feature sometime in the game! How confident are you guys about winning? I actually feel less confident winning against Mexico than Brazil or Argentina.
I don't think they are on the team, Brdaric or Owomoyela, you are only allowed a 22 man squad...I really think Englehardt should play, why select someone for this tournament if you don't play them often, I can understand w/ World Cup and Lars Ricken in 2002, but this tournament, give a player a chance.
All the pressure in this game is on Germany. Mexico has allready proven what they are capable of, Germany, however, cannot afford to lose. Its going to be a good game. I would not be surprised if this game goes into overtime. I would give Mexico the nod in regulation time if it wasnt for some factors that might hurt them. - They have a day less of rest, and played 120 intense minutes against Argentina - Marquez is out, the best defense in the tournament is dismantled again, Galindo and Carmona were sent back to Mexico, therefore, Mexico is out of defenders and will have to play a midfielder at the defender position' - Chivas players (Sachez(goalie), Salcido, Ramoncito and Medina) will fly directly after the game in a private plain to join Chivas to play in the Libertadores, less than 30 hours after the Germany game. So I dont think they will see a lot of playing time in this game. - Mexico will opt for a less experienced squad for this game. Rumors that Marquez Lugo will play instead of Borgetti, and Oswaldo Sanchez (best goalie of the tournament) will sit.
Hmmm....If Mexico indeed will field a squad according to those circumstances, then Germany have an even better chance of winning the match. Seems like they won't work too hard to win this game. It is true though, they did show that they were able to beat big teams like Brazil and outplay even Argentina so I guess the German team will be the ones dealing with most of the preasure...that could make them nervous however. Bradric and Owomoyala are on the squad to my knowledge but haven't played yet. I think Borrowski should get at least 45 minutes playing time...Bradric was brought in last minute to replace Klose but Tim actually had a terrific season and played well before the tournament for Germany so he should play, at least one half. Beating Mexico isn't like beating Brazil but if Germany can muster up a victory tomorow it will mean something because Mexcio to me was the most impressive team of the tournament and they are a force to be reckoned with now more than ever before in the last couple of years. Also, with a win tomorow Germany can prove that they no longer have to be intimidated when playing big teams and that they in fact have the ability to beat any oppononent, no matter who.
for sure all the pressure is on Germany . -Mexico is Playing on German Soil -Mexico has many players out on defense and others need to catch up with their teams in Mexico to play again. - Mexico has lost to Germany in the last 3 world cups -Germany has not beaten any big teams in this tournament while Mexico defeated brazil convincingly , and was seconds away from putting argentina out and lost by penalties. Pluse Klinsmann and Low have to prove they are getting better tactically . I just feel they have not outcoached anyone in this tournament yet . I am really frustrated that while Germany is down with young players they could not at least get the best possible coaching possible . I mean even England solved that by the painful solution of bringing a top class foreigner in Sven and paid him big bucks. The results have been tremendous since . He sure did outcoach Voller big time plus many others and they were unlucky in some major tournaments. I think Klinsmann and Low need to learn from mistakes they have committed , even in this tournament . The basic mistakes in my opinion are : - Adopting a Flat 4 defense , and not going back to the libero diamond defense. Just look at the results , Australia exposed this with 4 goals, Russian with 2 , Korea scored 4 and we know how brazil dealt with that . - Wrong decision in midfeild in the selection and in the positioning by shuffling Schneider and Frings and Deisler out of their usual positions which showed painfully against all the teams they faced , there was no stability or inspiration in the middle exept for the individual talent of Shweinsteiger. I have no idea why he would even start Schneider , a player who virtually did nothing after WC 2002 and is on the decline and it showed. He has not scored or created one single goal in how many games? maybe more than 10 . - On offense i think Klisi wasted valuable playing time by allowing Asamoah to play as much as he did and not nourishing a blossoming Hanke or even giving Brdaric more playing time to show what he can do . Asamoah is not a top rated attacker and has been given plenty of time to prove otherwise I hope i am wrong about these mistakes above and i hope germany optimizes the use of its limited talent and wins to open things up for the future. I hope it doesn't go into penalties . I would start the following selection: Kahn or Lehmann Owonmyela --Huth---Mertesacker-- Engelhardt Deisler ---Borowski -- Schweinsteiger Ballack Podolski ---------- Hanke
The number of goals Germany conceded had more to do with the individual class of -- or lack of -- some players, and tactical mistakes -- like lacking compactness -- in midfield. IMO it would be wrong to blame the system on it. That's all pretty vague I've to say. Besides, I don't recall that Deisler or Frings had to play unusual positions. Well, for once he assisted Mertesacker's goal against Australia. Schneider may be in decline -- though it's not true that he did "nothing" after WC 2002, he played very well in the league before Euro 2004 for example and he played a reasonable right back at Leverkusen -- but he is surely an experienced, versatile and tactically intelligent player. I would personally prefer other players in midfield and defense too, but you're a bit too harsh on him, and he may bring things like stability and experience and leadership which might be more apparent to Klinsmann than to outsiders. Also, he played well against Brazil and showed that he can still perform for the german national team. Asamoah is more important than Hanke and Brdaric. Neither Hanke nor Brdaric is a top rated attacker too, and neither will ever be one IMO because they are too limited. Germany has superior talent in Klose, Kuranyi and Podolski. Asamoah isn't much of a scorer, true, but he brings skills which Hanke and Brdaric and some of the others lack, like the ability to hold the ball, or to draw fouls so that the midfield can move up. Anybody who has followed the german national team recently could see that Asamoah deserves a place in the squad and is better suited to play alongside a central attacker than Hanke is, for instance. Borowski isn't really a defensive midfielder and Engelhardt isn't a left back. That's not to say they couldn't play these positions but it would be an unnecessary risk IMO. Frings and Ernst are better defensive midfielders. Engelhardt played a very bad second half of the season and he played bad when he came on against Argentina. So I don't see why he should be given the left back position. He might be better than Hitzlesberger, though, who knows? I would prefer Schneider, though. Hinkel played promising against Argentina so he might be ahead of Owomoyela but I think Klinsmann may play Schneider at right back.
germany wins 2:0 but I really think Klinsmann should think about gametime for those who didn't played by now, cause it really would suck if the missed most of their freetime just sitting on the bench (some of those are starters in their hometeams)
I hope Hitzlsperger gets a start in midfield which is his original position but Klinsman and his tactics...
Die deutsche Startelf: Kahn - Hinkel, Mertesacker, Huth, Schneider - Frings - Deisler, Ballack, Schweinsteiger - Hanke, Podolski
i think this is the strongest possible lineup germany could put out there... im beginning to feel hanke is better than kuranyi... hope the motivation is there... btw, maybe we should start another thread for this after todays game to evaluate the team, the players and what came out of this confederations cup for the german team... cos id like to say that ernst has looked better than frings playing in midfield...
nobody here? podolski goes close, hanke skims the bar, and podolski is crowded out after schweini plays him in... germany on top in the last 5... make it count!
does mexico count as a top team? they are ranked 6th by FIFA... what happens if germany wins this one? would that be the end to the winless streak vs top teams?
Theorethically yeah cause Mexico is higher than us practically is Mexico a joke as the rankinglist cause germany dropped due to a lack of OFFICIAL FIFA GAMES
By the way The gorilla got his 4th goal Lehmann only got 3 2:1 SCHWEINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ASSIST HINKEL!!!