At the weekend in the Russian city of Kazan, the group phase draw was made for next year’s Confederations Cup tournament. Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw was present at the event, with the World Champion Nationalmannschaft pitted against Asian champions Australia, Copa
It all began on a chilly and damp evening in Leverkusen, on 24th March 2001. Up against Albania in a crucial World Cup qualifier, the Nationalmannschaft had taken the lead five minutes into the second half after a stunning strike
Just days after lifting the World Cup trophy in Rio de Janeiro, Germany’s much-respected Spielführer Philipp Lahm created a stir in the footballing world by announcing his retirement from the Nationalmannschaft. For many German fans who had expected him to
After being stretched to the limit in disposing of Algeria in the round of sixteen, the German roadshow moves onto Rio’s famous Estádio Maracanã, and a potentially mouth-watering meeting with another old rival, France. Since their opening 4-0 thrashing of
A few hours after the 1-0 win over the United States in their final group game, Germany’s opponents in the second phase would be determined. Having fallen behind to an early goal in their final game against Russia, Algeria would
In the weeks leading up to the World Cup, the mood in Germany and among supporters of the Nationalmannschaft would be laced with the usual dose of pre-tournament pessimism. In recent campaigns there would be always be at least one
A new year and a new Trikot, but for Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw it would be a case of the same old problems. The first international of 2014 against Chile would provide the German team with a genuinely tough workout, and
The Nationalmannschaft would round off their calendar year in satisfactory style against England at Wembley, a ground that has become home from home. With a place in the World Cup safely in the bag Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw would use the
No, this is isn’t a piece about a dodgy-sounding New York law firm. Nor is it about a potential plan to get rid of the Winterpause and play Bundesliga matches through snowy months. No, it’s Trikot-time again, and the imminent
The two teams walk out to a sparsely-populated stadium in Boca Raton, where most of the support appears to be for the yellow-shirted South Americans. It is a cloudy and somewhat humid afternoon in Florida, with a slight breeze and
The recent ongoing debate over the concept the of the strikerless “False Nine” and Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw’s decision not to play a regular centre-forward in Germany’s more recent matches has prompted many to think that the era of the traditional
Eight competitive matches. Four draws. Four defeats. You can work out the rest, but I’ll say it anyway: zero wins. A record that defies all description, and more so after the defeat in the Euro 2012 semi-final, all logic. Even