Preview: Germany vs. Italy
GAME DETAILS
Germany vs. Italy, Dortmund, 21:00 CET
Travel to Dortmund
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World Cup Gear: Germany | Italy
THE BIG PICTURE
It doesn’t get much better than a World Cup semifinal clash between two of history’s biggest football nations. Germany comes in to the game winners of five straight, including a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Argentina. The host country has the support of an entire nation, hoping that their team can deliver a fourth World Cup title. Italy is also on a roll after an impressive win against Ukraine in the quarter-finals. The Azzurri have met Germany four times in the World Cup, winning twice and playing two scoreless draws. This one has all the makings of a classic.
Teams: Likely formation; shirt numbers, name, caps, goals, coach:
Germany (4-4-2): 1-Jens Lehmann (37-0); 3-Arne Friedrich (41-0), 21-Christoph Metzelder (26-0), 17-Per Mertesacker (28-1), 16-Philipp Lahm (23-2); 19-Bernd Schneider (69-1), 8-Torsten Frings (57-8), 13-Michael Ballack (69-31), 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger (33-7); 20-Lukas Podolski (30-15), 11-Miroslav Klose (60-29) Coach: Juergen Klinsmann
Italy (4-3-2-1): 1-Gianluigi Buffon (65-0); 19-Gianluca Zambrotta (56-2), 23-Marco Materazzi (30-1), 5-Fabio Cannavaro (98-1), 3-Fabio Grosso (21-1); 20-Simone Perrotta (29-1), 21-Andrea Pirlo (29-5), 8-Gennaro Gattuso (45-1); 10-Francesco Totti (56-9); 9-Luca Toni (22-9), 11-Alberto Gilardino (19-8) Coach: Marcello Lippi
LIVEBLOG
Follow the match highlights as they happen on the Germany vs. Italy LiveBlog and stop by to leave your thoughts and comments about the match
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IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS
The average German goes seven days before washing his underwear.
The word Taxi is spelled the same in English, German, French, Swedish, Dutch and Portuguese.
There is annual tax of €150 to own a dog in Berlin.
Germany Team Blog
Buy a Germany jersey to support the team
All gondolas in Venice, Italy must be painted black, unless they belong to a high official.
The Italian flag is inspired by the French flag introduced during Napoleon’s 1797 invasion of the peninsula.
Italian families save more money than the Japanese and Germans, and three times more than Americans do.
Italy Team Blog
Team Roster
Buy an Italy jersey to support the team
TEAM BLOGS & DISCUSSIONS
Germany Team Blog
Italy Team Blog
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Comments
Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 60 comments.
Read the rest of the comments
By Pawan | July 4th, 2006 at 3:08 pm 
i would like to say that italy should win the match as they have also strong aim to win the match
I LOVE ITALY
BEST OF LUCK
Posted from 
Nepal
By mohan | July 4th, 2006 at 4:13 pm The home advantage for Germans will be huge, with all the fans baying for Italian blood. But the scheming Italians can be equally provoked into winning. Italy has also been more convincing than Germany in this World Cup. I would give Italy a razor thin edge to send Germany into a national mouring tomorrow.
Posted from 
India
By kenneth | July 4th, 2006 at 4:19 pm Italy are a great team but one goal does not support a cocky violin celebration considering they equalised in favor of the opposing team by conceding an own goal second game against the (US)
Posted from 
France
By Roo | July 4th, 2006 at 4:45 pm “Italia in the Final” you are a complete idiot.
I hate the germans, but you have to be a complete idiot to see that Ballack has been inspirational and done more than “miss sitter goals”.
You clearly don’t know anything about football.
Posted from 
United Kingdom
By Jennifer | July 4th, 2006 at 4:56 pm FORZA ITALIA!!! Knowing gli azzurri are going to win this match i strongly advise germany fans to get out a box of tissues!!!..
Posted from 
United States
By Sameh | July 4th, 2006 at 5:28 pm Italy will win
By maurizio | July 4th, 2006 at 6:47 pm germans will be kaput in a few hours .eheheh http://profiles.yahoo.com/amoredelanotte?intl=ca&os=win&ver=7,0,0,438
By pawan | July 4th, 2006 at 7:22 pm germany will this match. they will be playing with franch in the final.
Posted from Nepal
By Blah-Me | July 4th, 2006 at 7:34 pm I probably told everyone around me that I’m NOT going to watch the semi-finals because I was so pissed off and annoyed and depressed and frustrated and etc etc by Argentina’s and Brazil’s loss.
I guess I cant pull that off. I’m a freak. And a sucker for football. So what if my favourite team is out, and isnt playing today? Its all about the game!! Its football!!!
And thats all that matters in the end. As long as we have those 22 players, a referee and a ball on the field, there shouldnt be anything more to ask for!
I say screw picking a team to side with!! They’re all the same to me now! Blah!!
Whispers: (Looooose Germany Loooose! Dieeeee Germany Diiieeeeee!!)
Posted from 
United Arab Emirates
By Chris | July 4th, 2006 at 7:38 pm Go Italia!
Posted from United States
By dirk | July 4th, 2006 at 7:40 pm You Italian fans on here are as bad as the newspapers you complain about. Instead of praising your own team’s qualities, you resort to high strung name calling. Italy will go home tonight because they have hardly been impressive in this WC. Argentina would have destroyed Italy.
Posted from United States
By Joe | July 4th, 2006 at 7:42 pm This is going to be fun. These are the games that you wait 4 years to see. I think it will either be one of the great games of all time with the over-acheiving hosts pulling their game together and the Italians finally able to avoid an overtime game to this point so they do not have to lose on penalties…Or it will devolve into one of the most boring defensive battles ever.
Either way I am looking forward to this game very much and either of these 2 against the resurgent French would make a great final. I wouldn’t even mind seeing the head butting Portuguese in the final.
Stop by at http://www.SoccerBriefs.com after the game for more commentary and follow up.
Forza Italia!!
Posted from United States
By Leif (in Romania) | July 4th, 2006 at 7:44 pm Guys,
I just had the most brilliant idea for a spoof video! Actually, I have little doubt that someone hasn’t already conceived of and maybe executed this, but here it is anyway:
A guy walks down the street in Berlin, minding his own business. As soon as someone touches him, no matter how slight, he goes flying like he was just shot out of a cannon and lands on the ground clutching a leg or his head (whichever is least plausible).
He writhes in pain for a few seconds until someone runs up and spritzes the injury with a little water. The guy jumps up and walks off like nothing happened!
Bwahahahaha!
Good, clean World Cup humor!
I nominate Chris as Flop Guy.
By Deutschland uber alles! | July 4th, 2006 at 7:47 pm We will place german penispenis in italian asche!
Dirty italiensche country. Always garlic in everything.
Heil Klinsman!
By Deviilz. | July 4th, 2006 at 7:49 pm How about these odds from my bookies:
Germany to win by a goal or more margin within the 90mins.
Italy the better bet..?
Posted from 
Malaysia
By dirk | July 4th, 2006 at 7:51 pm Deutschland uber alles, I’m German, but that was stupid
Posted from United States
By Nicolas | July 4th, 2006 at 8:04 pm If it goes down to penalties Germany will win (I almost see this being the most likely scenario…as Germany knows they’ll have a hard time of it beating the Italian defence…I think they’ll play defensively for the penalty shoot out…Here they are freaks… I’d back Germany against any team if it came down to penalties…. So basically I think if Italy are to win they’ll have to go all out and go after the win…
Germany will also have the home nation factor
Also Italy is disadvantaged with regard to its preparation. That is, Italy has “softer” teams in Australia and Ukraine than Germany’s opponents Sweden and Argentina (mind you Sweden looked like one of the worst teams in the finals)
Anyway, I regrettably feel, these factors will undo Italy’s bid for a fourth…Well not really regrettably, I’m indifferent. Good luck to both teams
Peace.
Posted from 
Australia
By fussballwmblog | July 4th, 2006 at 8:24 pm Italy will win 4:1 
Posted from 
Germany
By R2T2 | July 4th, 2006 at 8:44 pm Excerpts from Sunday’s FIA post-race press conference – F1 Race in Indianapolis, USA; where
1st, Michael Schumacher {German} (Ferrari – Italy); 2nd, Felipe Massa {Brazil} (Ferrari – Italy); 3rd, Giancarlo Fisichella {Italy} (Renault – France).
.
.
.
Q: (Felipe Motta – Radio Panamerica) Question to Michael and Felipe: Michael, today Italy and Germany celebrate together. Next Tuesday they will fight in the World Cup. How is the environment inside the team, and Felipe, which side will you chose: Italy or Germany?
FM: I’m more for Italy, I have to say.
MS: We will look forward to it, and we will cross fingers for each party. It’s natural what my heart is going for although it’s mixed up a little bit, but the majority, anyway, sticks to the German side.
.
.
.
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Q: (Todd Golden – Terre Haute Tribune Star) Giancarlo, Michael’s had a chance to talk about Germany’s prospects in the World Cup, what about your passion for the Azzuri and Italy?
GF: You know, myself and Michael are really big fans of football. We play together in a drivers’ team for charity. I think both of us play quite well. Apart from that…
FM: I don’t think so, no.
MS: You’d better be quiet, you’re out already.
GF: He’s Brazilian but he doesn’t play very well. It’s going to be a very interesting game. I’ve got on my helmet ‘Forza Azzuri’ which shows how important the World Cup is for me and to see them in the final and winning the final, of course.
Posted from Malaysia
By Steve D | July 5th, 2006 at 6:05 am My prediction, so far has been correct. Italy dominated the first half, Germany played better in the second half. Italy dominated the extra time.And……surprise,surprise:Italy played attack Soccer!No more Catenaccio! Also,no one is giving Lippi credit for substituting 3 strikers! Italy has never, ever done that in a World cup game!That proved that they were going for the win and they didn`t want to face the precision German penalty kick scoring machine! Italy attacked from the beginning and only stopped attacking 40% of the second half due to fatigue. Right now,Cannavaro is the best defender in the world!~What a super game played by (Santo Cannavaro, as the Spanish announcer calls him!)Germany did very well this tournament, much better than anyone thought, even as the home side. Congratulations to Klinsmann. I hope you come to America to help us out. We need you! I believe it will be Italy -Portugal, as I originally predicted. Forza Italia!
Posted from United States
By Rabindra subedi | July 5th, 2006 at 10:55 am I wish world cup for germany butunluckly it felled,try again for 2010.
Posted from India
By #6 | July 5th, 2006 at 2:18 pm Go Italy. Italy was going to win and they did. They controlled the first half but they let up a little bit on the second and when over time hit they domonated. They were the first team to beat Germany in that stadium. Being an italy fan i am happy with their proformence. but after playing for 8 years and only being 11 i have learned you need to presure. they presured well but they could have done better. i am happy because they won and i am even happyer that they beat Germany in their home stadium. YEAH GO ITALY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted from United States
By IOAN TODIROAE (i_todiroae@yahoo.fr 21:24 mi05.07.2006 Piatra-Neamt, Romania) | July 5th, 2006 at 8:25 pm Germania / Germany 0 Italia / Italy 2
Data : ma047\2006
Campionatul Mondial de Fotbal Germania 2006
Coupe du Monde de Football Allemagne 2006
Football Coupe du Monde Allemagne 2006
FIFA WORLD CUP Germany 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup Germany
Semifinala
By ReNnY 06 | September 4th, 2006 at 7:22 am ITALY WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS !!!
Posted from United States
By jordan | November 25th, 2006 at 2:58 am go italy. u won the world cup
1-1 5:3 in pen forza italia
vivaiatlia i luv ya all.
Posted from Australia
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