IWAN’S WORLD CUP RUN DOWN 1
With the impending world cup tournament just around the corner, I think I should give my 5cents worth. Plus, I will look into my crystal ball and attempt at foreseeing the unforseen future.
IWAN’S WORLD CUP RUN DOWN
GROUP A
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador
I shan’t attempt to analyse all teams because I do not have that deep enough knowledge. Here I shall analyse the Germans.
Full squad
Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal/ENG), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart)
Defenders: Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Robert Huth (Chelsea/ENG), Marcell Jansen (Borussia Monchengladbach), Per Mertesacker (Hannover), Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Jens Nowotny (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), David Odonkor (Borussia Dortmund)
Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne), Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Monchengladbach), Gerald Asamoah (Schalke 04)
The spine of the team is Lehmann, Lahm, Ballack, Klose. Out of the four only 2 are world class, that is not to say, Lahm and Klose are not good, in fact they are very good, very efficient, however, in the international stage, players must perform either their usual standard (if they are world class) or above it.
That said, it also depends on the effectiveness system that they use (which depends on whether the players understood it). Juergen Klinsmann, Germany’s coach uses the conventional back four. Fine. But if you do not have a solid holding midfielder ala Claude Makele or Mario Silva or Xabi Alonso or Dietmar Hamman (the player they left out), it is not going to be as effective. Notice how I say going to be as effective. However, it is a good attacking formation, with wingers and runners and pace… well basically he is banking on his runners and not ball players to win games. This is evident with players like Asamoah, Hitzperger, Schneider etc… so that my fellow football analysts, is his plan to conquer the world. He reminds me so much of Keegan’s England.
Nevertheless, Germany has always performed well in the world cup. People write them off, all the time. But history has shown that they would at least reach the quarter finals. Semi-final is a norm. This has been the pattern since 1966. The only reason for this phenomenon is German mentality. It is as hard as steel.
So write them off at your own peril!!
IWAN’S WORLD CUP RUN DOWN
GROUP A
Germany
Costa Rica
Poland
Ecuador
I shan’t attempt to analyse all teams because I do not have that deep enough knowledge. Here I shall analyse the Germans.
Full squad
Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal/ENG), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart)
Defenders: Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Robert Huth (Chelsea/ENG), Marcell Jansen (Borussia Monchengladbach), Per Mertesacker (Hannover), Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Jens Nowotny (Bayer Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Bayern Munich), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund), Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), David Odonkor (Borussia Dortmund)
Forwards: Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Lukas Podolski (FC Cologne), Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Monchengladbach), Gerald Asamoah (Schalke 04)
The spine of the team is Lehmann, Lahm, Ballack, Klose. Out of the four only 2 are world class, that is not to say, Lahm and Klose are not good, in fact they are very good, very efficient, however, in the international stage, players must perform either their usual standard (if they are world class) or above it.
That said, it also depends on the effectiveness system that they use (which depends on whether the players understood it). Juergen Klinsmann, Germany’s coach uses the conventional back four. Fine. But if you do not have a solid holding midfielder ala Claude Makele or Mario Silva or Xabi Alonso or Dietmar Hamman (the player they left out), it is not going to be as effective. Notice how I say going to be as effective. However, it is a good attacking formation, with wingers and runners and pace… well basically he is banking on his runners and not ball players to win games. This is evident with players like Asamoah, Hitzperger, Schneider etc… so that my fellow football analysts, is his plan to conquer the world. He reminds me so much of Keegan’s England.
Nevertheless, Germany has always performed well in the world cup. People write them off, all the time. But history has shown that they would at least reach the quarter finals. Semi-final is a norm. This has been the pattern since 1966. The only reason for this phenomenon is German mentality. It is as hard as steel.
So write them off at your own peril!!
Finger Acrobatics Performed
On Thursday, May 25, 2006 at 5:59 pm.
Skip It and Leave Some!
