World cup 2010 news

If you’re unfamiliar with World Cup Blog, then allow me to explain: The blog you’re reading now is the front page, but the core of WCB is the multitude of team specific blogs, including one for each of the World Cup 2010 teams.

The authors of these team blogs have forgotten more about their sides than I’ll ever know, so I decided to tap that knowledge by asking each of them a set of 10 questions. Today it’s the turn of Nick from Germany World Cup Blog. Read on to learn all about the German national team

1. Who is Germany’s best player, and why?
As a typical German I don’t have a best player, because teams win tournaments not individual players. That being said, it’s hard to choose between experience and youth. Before 2009 I would have said Michael Ballack because without him it’s pretty evident on the field that the whole German team lacks direction and purpose. He might not be the same Ballack who first burst on the international scene at World Cup 2002, but it spoke volumes that it was necessary to play him even injured in the Euro 2008 final against Spain. Now in 2010, it’s time for someone new to grab the headlines and hopefully it’ll be Mesut Özil. The team in South Africa will be built around this talented playmaker – a type of player Germany has not had since World Cup 1998. Crucially like Ballack he has vision, intelligence, and confidence. Unlike Ballack he can also dribble, sprint, and win one-on-one situations. Unfortunately Özil is a rather poor finisher even among poor finishers, but then there is always Toni Kroos.

2. What do you think of Germany’s coach?
It’s a love hate affair with Joachim Löw. On the one hand he has since 2004 along with ex-coach Jurgen Klinsmann been responsible for ushering in and capitalizing on a new wave of German talent. On the other hand he has not won anything yet despite reaching a semifinal and a final – which is a disappointment by German standards. Löw is usually tactically sound and he communicates with his team captain well, but his substitutions are almost always too late or too lacking – indicating inflexibility more than anything else. Off the field he’s guilty of favoritism and caving in to the media. Overall, I still think he will do what’s right or be pressured to do so and thus finally lead Germany to a trophy (or watch it from a corporate skybox).

3. What do you think of Germany’s World Cup 2010 kits?
The kits are the one thing that never fails to impress. It’s fairly clean and conservative as far as kits go, but less is more in fashion especially. The one thing that stands out on both the home and away jerseys is the Euro 1996 DFB crest – a good luck charm!

4. What is Gernany’s biggest strength?
The biggest strength is in goal. We have one proven world class goalkeeper in Rene Adler (see qualifiers against Russia) and two enormously gifted keepers in Manuel Neuer and Tim Wiese who would do any team proud. This position has almost always been Germany’s strength and it is no different now.
Note: Rene Adler is now injured – Daryl

5. …and biggest weakness?
Germany has a very suspect central defense pairing, but Spain and Brazil aside who doesn’t? One of our problems in the center-back department is speed. I would expect someone like Per Mertesacker with such ridiculously long features to run quite quickly, but he doesn’t – Franz Beckenbauer today could run faster. At least Mertesacker has skills and positioning in his favor, which are often absent from the other likely nominations. Both Heiko Westermann and Sedar Tasci can have good days and can even build plays or score goals, yet they always are error prone which are deadly in a tournament. There are players available who can immediately remedy this, but it all goes back to the coach playing favorites and being tactically rigid.

6. If you could steal one player from any other World Cup 2010 team, then who would it be and why?
It would be nice to have a big target man like Zlatan Ibrahimovic who can actually score a goal given the opportunity unlike Mario Gomez, but it would be better to have someone like Arjen Robben. He has almost patented the critical comeback goal this season and has proven to be a pain in the ass for the entire opposing side, especially when your team is one selfish dream goal away from the next stage.

7. Tell us one thing about your team that the rest of the world might not know…
The team Germany brings to the World Cup in South Africa will be one of the youngest German sides ever with an average age of 25. Out of a recent player pool of 30 only 3 players were older than 27. This doesn’t mean that this German side is inexperienced. It’s just that the experienced players happen to be among others Phillip Lahm (27/64 Caps), Bastian Schweinsteiger (26/73), and Lukas Poldolski (25/70). In addition, there will also be the younger players who won the U-21 Euro 2009 including Manuel Neuer, Marko Marin, Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira, and Jerome Boateng. Only then come the relatively internationally inexperienced and even younger Toni Kroos (20) and Thomas Müller (21).

8. What would you consider success/failure for your team at World Cup 2010?
A successful World Cup can only be winning it. Despite being a finalist for Euro 2008 and World Cup 2002 and a semifinalist at World Cup 2006, it has been 14 years since Germany’s last true success.

9. What are you most excited about at World Cup 2010?
It will be the first World Cup in Africa which is something new and exciting, but one thing I always relish is the predominately English commentary writing off the Germans (mostly out of ignorance) to their peril!

10. Who do you think will win World Cup 2010?
Germany / Brazil

- More from Nick (and new writer Marcus) at Germany World Cup Blog

>> Supporting Germany in the World Cup? Put on your Germany jersey, get your Germany World Cup tickets, and get to the stadium! If you’re watching from home, keep up to date with Germany World Cup Blog, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook.