Eight minutes in Stuttgart, 17th April 2002 With the World Cup in Japan and Korea fast approaching, Nationaltrainer Rudi Völler would be in the process of sorting out the final squad shortlist – trying his best to get a sighting
A new start to a new season, and the Nationalmannschaft’s fourth defeat of 2012 – the most reverses in a calendar year since Joachim Löw wook over as Nationaltrainer in 2006. But it was not all bad news. Despite the
Generally speaking nobody cares too much about the August early season friendly, but this was Argentina – and Frankfurt’s Commerzbank-Arena would be packed to the rafters to see Joachim Löw’s side take on the Albiceleste in what was their first
After the endless discussions about the starting lineup at Euro 2012, we kick things off again with this season’s opening friendly international against Argentina: a friendly with that touch of importance, a game against a “big” country rather than a
A new season, a new start, and I’m back and raring to go again. After the highs and lows of Euro 2012, the Nationalmannschaft are back in action with what looks like a mouth-watering early season fixture against Argentina on
Chicago, 13th June 1993. It is the summer of 1993, and Germany are the current World Champions. The team are in the United States, preparing for the following year’s World Cup by taking part in a four-team tournament: the US
It is hard to believe that the Euros are finally all over. Ten qualifying matches. Months of anticipation and buildup. Then, just over three weeks of football, extracting every last emotion and shredding every last nerve. Especially if you were
Now that the dust has started to settle on Euro 2012, it’s time for a general round up, and the overall player ratings. Rather than rehashing the figures I am simply going to take the easy way out and use
Well, Euro 2010 is finally over, and our Spanish friends are now crowing about winning three titles in a row. Now some of us may find them boring, but let us congratulate them on what is a magnificent achievement. The
I never thought it would come to this – my last ratings report of Euro 2012, and I’m not writing about the final. Instead, another semi-final against that old banana skin Italy, and yet another painful defeat.
So, no return to the Ukraine after what was planned to be a two-week break in Poland. Poor tactics, mental collapse, another defeat to bogey side Italy, and it’s all over. Just like that. I’ll save the post mortem for
When the last eight teams slotted into place and Germany then beat Greece to make the semi-finals, we all knew a classic encounter would be coming up next. We would either see England – a team that has provided a