Big Question: Is Germany as Bad as Everyone Thinks?

March 21st, 2006 | by: WC Bob |

The past year has not been kind to one of the world’s traditional football powers. As the country gets ready to host the world’s greatest sporting event, Germany faces many questions about the strength of its team. Ranked 22nd in the latest FIFA rankings and with a coach who was a legend as a player, but under fire as a coach, there is a lot of buzz within Germany and around the world that this German might not have what it takes to defend its home turf this summer. This wave of doubt has only grown following Germany’s 4-1 thrashing at the feet of Italy earlier this month. But is Germany really that bad?

The short answer is: yes and no. Germany does not lack for talent nor should it be viewed as being worse than 21 other teams in the world, but this German team is very young and surprisingly deficient in cohesion.

In 2002, the brilliance of Michael Ballack and the unflappable play of Olivier Kahn were the two main reasons the team reached the finals. Those two guys are still around, although Kahn is in a dogfight with Jens Lehmann to be named number one in the net.

The difference this time is their supporting cast and the overall team strategy. Successful German teams in the past have been built from the back forward. This team’s greatest weakness is its backline, a dicey proposition since Jurgen Klinsmann has introduced a more attacking offensive style that leaves the backline with a lot more individual responsibility than is traditionally the case with German teams.

Still, there are reasons that Germany shouldn’t be written off quite yet. For one thing the team does have a relatively easy group that should be a kind way to introduce the young players to what it is like to play in the World Cup.

There is also the undeniable advantage of playing at home. Is this German team really any worse than the South Korean team that rode its home field advantage to the semifinals in 2002? I don’t think so.

For me, the fact that Germany is down a bit makes the tournament more interesting. If the team was a juggernaut it would be very, very tough to beat at home. But with the turmoil and questions surrounding the current crew, the tournament is a lot more wide open and Germany’s matches will be a lot more interesting to watch.

I still see Germany winning its group, but your guess is as good as mine how much further they go from there.

To find out more about Germany, you’ll want to check in Wednesday for our coverage of the US-Germany friendly, including a LiveBlog while the match happens.

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http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2006/group-d-our-infallible-prediction.html#postcomment Pedro P

Big Question: “Is Portugal so bad that people just keep forgetting us (and ONLY talk about Rooney, Messi, etc…)?”

For those interested in finding the answer, or simply football fans, check:

http://www.footievideos.com/2006/02/13/portugal/
Euler

Germany will be ready when the time comes. The game against Italy was a good wake up call. Italy is the one to be worried now. If they get overconfident they will fall.
http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2006/group-d-our-infallible-prediction.html#postcomment Pedro P

When the time comes, Germany always rises to the occasion. On top of it all, they’ll be playing home…
http://australia.worldcupblog.org/ Hristo

The weight of expectation of the home fans is so much more than the South Koreans 4 years ago. No one expected SK to do well and they surprised a lot of people. German fans are used to being a powerhouse and the team is kind of in a no-win situation. If they do well, then that is merely what is expected of them. If they do poorly, then the nation cries and the players are rubbished.

It’s going to be a tough World Cup for them for sure. It’s true they have an easy group but they can afford no slip-ups.
argiebargie

The germans are currently in a transitional phase. Younger players are coming through and have at least shed the image of Dads Army. They are a bit like argentina finding their way again after previous great heights. This however may be a world cup too soon for them. Kudos to Klinsmann who is trying new players and attacking strategies.
Eric

I would say defenitely not a bad as people think. Will they be as god as people want them to be? I think it depends on Kahn or Lehmann. Just like the last wolrd cup Kahn played out of his mind and they made it to the final. The USA even gave them almost more than they could handle. So if the Keeper can play great I think their offense will kick in and help a lot more this time.
http://www.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2006/the-new-old-german-juggernaut.html The New Old German Juggernaut – FIFA World Cup 2006 – World Cup 2006 Blog

[...] A few days back I asked the Big Question of whether Germany is really as bad as everyone thinks. My answer remains unchanged. The team is not as bad as a 4-1 scoreline against Italy would indicate. Nor is it as good as a 4-1 win against the United States would indicate. [...]
http://germany.worldcupblog.org/1/the-german-road-to-glory.html The German Road to Glory – FIFA World Cup 2006 – Germany World Cup Team Blog

[...] Sometimes it really sucks being a fan of this team. As Bob mentioned in an entry before, that team ain’t the old juggernaut. The sheer will and forcing your luck made them triple WC and Euro champs. The German team was supposedly Rocky, who had lost the eye of the tiger after 1996. 2002 was only a dramatic comedy the football gods set up to piss us off. Thinking we can dare to win it, Kahn blew it blundering. With him being the only reason we got there in the first place. Now, hold your tongues and listen to what I’m soothsaying: [...]