Germany to win? I don't think so
- 4 Jul 06, 11:11 AM
DORTMUND - I'm not going to make many friends saying this but I do NOT want Germany to win the World Cup.
I've spoken to quite a few England fans over the last few days who have expressed the view that they would be happy to see Michael Ballack lift the World Cup trophy in Berlin on Sunday - and a few people on this blog have expressed a similar sentiment, not to mention my fellow bloggers Paul Armstrong and Paul Atherton.
Mandeep seems to be backing the Italians, Phil is just pissed it's not England getting in the party mood in Munich, while Celina seems to have been seduced by ex-France defender Desailly and his confidence in some of his old team-mates.
As for the Germans, the thrust of the argument seems to be that they've been so incredibly fantastic as a host nation that it would be no bad thing to see their team win on home soil.
I fully concur with the first part of the theory - Ricco and I have been around the country and have hardly a bad word to say about any of the Germans we have met.
In fact, their kindness, willingness to help and warmth for the English has really struck home - for me it is one of the major factors that I will take from my time here.
They seem to be without any of the malice that some English people still harbour towards them (though I think they quite enjoyed watching is lose on penalties) and I really believe that as a nation they are not all that different to us.
In short, I have come to see the Germans in a new, refreshing and entirely positive light.
Does this mean I now want their football team to win? No chance.
On the train back from Gelsenkirchen on Saturday evening my eyes drifted aimlessly across the carriage.
I spotted an England shirt with one gold star above the badge. Seconds later I noticed a German shirt with three gold stars about the badge.
The thought occured to me that if they win this World Cup they are three victories ahead of us. Given we have only managed it once ever, it would make any footballing debate with a German even more futile than it is already.
And besides, if every time I went to a country of a major footballing rival I decided that because I liked the people I would back their team in the event of England's inevitable premature departure I could soon end up without any rivalries to get worked up about.
Football is about the excitement of playing a rival team, the spice that such a match adds and the increased desire for your team to emerge victorious.
Take that away and I think the game will be poorer for it. So I'm not crossing the German team off the list just yet.
Besides, I still vividly remember the empty, hollow feeling in 1990 and 1996. Andi Moeller strutting and preening across the turf at Wembley. It is what made England's 5-1 win in 2001 all the sweeter.
What I can take solace from in those defeats is that we lost (albeit on penalties) to a quality team, packed with world-class players.
Each time Germany went on to win the tournament - we lost to a team that was arguably better than us.
Four years ago an average team reached the final and the current crop is hardly packed with top-quality world-class players.
It almost makes it worse that now while England have failed with what is supposedly their best team in decades, the Germans are showing us how to win when, on paper, you're hardly brimming with brilliance.
Don't think for a moment think that I am trying to suggest that Jurgen Klinsmann's team has not played well here. They have, very well, but let us take Miroslav Klose as an example.
Klose was one of the top scorers at the last World Cup - with six goals - but then had two poor seasons with Kaiserslautern.
I'm told he has been impressive since moving to Werder Bremen two years ago and is clearly a very competent forward.
With five goals already at this World Cup he is very likely to be the top scorer at this tournament.
But top German strikers down the years - the likes of Klinsmann, Rudi Voeller, Oliver Bierhoff - quickly ended up in Italy. Why no such interest in Klose?
What I will concede about the current German team is that compared to previous generations they seem extremely likeable.
Klinsmann has been a popular figure in England for a long time and has kept me amused throughout the tournament by his selection of expertly tailored yet somehow slightly casual shirts.
With Oliver Kahn on the bench there is no longer anyone in the team that I truly despise and they play with a freedom and belief that has been genuinely exciting to watch.
And maybe if they win their semi-final and I find myself caught up in the emotion of it all I might start to waver.
But for the moment this (probably slightly bitter) English fan is sticking to his guns and hoping that someone, anyone, knocks them out (preferably on penalties).
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Go, practice some penalties. The 4th star is ours. England will never ever be Worldcup winner again (unless they cheat again on home soil).
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OK, so Wayne Rooney should have kept a bit calmer, but from where I was sitting, he did not commit a violent act. He was being pulled and fouled for what seemed an age. The Portuguese player unfortunately was hoisted by his own petard. In his attempt to pull Rooney back he fell and slipped legs akimbo under Rooney, who was knocked off balance and was ONLY trying to put is foot down. He could not have known (unless he had eyes in his backside) that the players groin was awaiting his foot. It was hardly a "stamoing" action, it was just a natural reaction to regain his balance. No-one knows what would have happened had he stayed on , maybe the result would have been the same, but I doubt it....The referee made some very strange decisions. How could Terry deserve to be booked for getting knocked out in an accidental clash of heads? Wht was Crouch bookedd, he did nothing wrong.
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To Thomas - Thanks that little one liner! I couldnt decide who to back tonight between Germany and Italy and you have made my mind up for me... FORZA ITALIA!
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To Thomas
Yeah right.
Brazil thought that they already had a 6th star, what makes you so sure to have your 4th?
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How come France, Italy and Ukraine are grouped together in the Euro 2008 qualifying.
Were there no seedings? Imagine only 2 of these 3 talented teams will be at Euro 2008.
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As a dutchman who supports both Holland and England, this World Cup has been horrific. Of course I want my team(s) to win, but if beaten by a clearly better opponent, so be it. But the likes of Portugal (for me it happened twice in a row this World Cup) have left me phased. And to be honest, I am not really interested in who wins it anymore. Sure I might watch the game if I come across it, but I fear it will be too painful.
Sigh, another 4 years wait...
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Do not only look at the stars - if we win today it's going to be our 8th (!) final since 1954!
1954, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2002 and maybe 2006. This is just incredible and does not leave much room for discussion about who (England or Germany) is better at the WCs... ;)
So, because that issue is IMHO settled, you can feel free, to cheer for our team. ;)
Anyway, I think that most so-called "world-class"-players, who play in the Premier League, in Italy or Spain are overrated. I haven't seen much of Ronaldinho, Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney, Adriano, Ibrahimovic, Robben, van Bommel, Raul etc. etc - just to mention a few.
What I have seen is much of Ronaldo, but just because he's overweight... ;)
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madhu, actually only one of France, Italy and Ukraine (probably Italy) will make it to Euro 2008... the other is of course Scotland!
I'm serious, I see a bright future for Scotland and expect to see the gap between our ranking and England's close swiftly over the next few years.
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@Flo:
Regarding world class players there is a clearer more obvious reason for their underperformance: most have had long seasons playing in the national and international competitions and German players havent.
The German league is smaller gameswise in comparison to the English or Spanish League (34 games vs 42/38, not counting cup tourny's).
Not many German teams progressed far in the international tournaments, nor do many German players play for foreign internationally active teams.
Finally, the Germans havent had to play qualifying matches.
Always keep this in mind before complaining about top class players not performing. And that is not even mentioning the horrible ball which has been used this worldcup, or the dry fields on which have been played on (which is the German(!) groundsmen responsibillity...)
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Glad you refer to the myth that this England squad was the best we had since 66, a myth founded and perpetuated by those who think football only really began with the Premiership in 1992. The fact is that this squad was possibly the worst we had since 66, not the best.
As for the winners? Anyone except Portugal for me! As someone who was certain that France would beat Brazil (another over hyped and over rated outfit) I wouldn't mind seeing them win.
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I also pray that German be ousted but on different reasons.I never fancy a host nation to win the world cup.Being a Tanzanian, with some historical connections with Britain, I Wanted England to win it.England is undoutedly a great,but incomplete team. It has no great strikers.To win the world cup you need luck and great team with prolific goal scorers. Rooney is too young to depend on,and crouch is too slow to outsmart great defenders.Don't blame the coach, urge mothers to bring great strikers, and of course good other Shiltons!
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Thomas, your points in order:
1. good advice, but its not practice its positivism thats required.
2. Fair play, you deserve it, but you need to get past Italy, and France first.
3. see later ;o)
4. you are forgetting that there was a 4th goal. we beat you fair and square. but you are probably right about England never winning another, given the hopelessness of the English FA: just take the Wembley farce as an example.
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Hi Thomas and Flo, liked your thoughts there. People can go on and on about 1966 but that is actually just a showing of how pathetic the England squad really is.
All of those stars with all the fame and supposed skill can't gel together like the Germans.
I would be delighted if Germany wins the world cup a 4th time around, we need a european nation to keep the cup here and who better to do so than the best team in Europe ever.
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