I have always been in two minds about the international season starting so early, particularly during a World Cup year. Despite it being almost two months after the Nationalmannschaft’s triumph in Rio there is still something of a sluggishness, with
It has now been over a month since Germany’s historic victory over Argentina in the World Cup final in Rio, and it still seems like yesterday. The memories are still warm, but the time has come for the start of
Germany’s World Cup goes on, but their second phase encounter with Algeria would produce yet another dramatic chapter in what has so far been an incredible tournament – arguably the best for a long time, possibly since Mexico 1986. Expected
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
Finally, after all the pre-tournament hype, we have seen some football. The opening game would see the hosts Brazil record a 3-1 win over Croatia, but the score would not really reflect what had happened over the ninety minutes. Two
Time for the second video blog, and what should have been just a simple review of the final warmup game against Armenia in Mainz. Instead, the news of the Mannschaft’s (in the end) emphatic 6-1 win and Miroslav Klose’s goalscoring
The somewhat disappointing 2-2 draw with Cameroon in Mönchengladbach would put plenty of pressure on the team and coach Joachim Löw to deliver in their final match before the World Cup, and after a rather testing first half they wouldn’t
It’s a warm evening in a packed Coface Arena in Mainz, and Jogi Löw’s side are all set for their final warmup match against Armenia. A lot of the big names are back in the starting lineup, and with goalkeeper
Much has been said about the current crop of German players, who have been described by a number of pundits and commentators as the Nationalmannschaft’s “golden generation”. There is certainly an abundance of rich talent in Joachim Löw’s squad that
Welcome to the first Schwarz und Weiß World Cup video blog. Nothing spectacular, no bells and whistles, no snazzy editing and fades to black, just something simple recorded using the iPhone in the bedroom. OK, I will probably use the
After a successful ten-day training camp in the South Tyrol, the squad of twenty-six players would head to Mönchengladbach via Düsseldorf for their penultimate pre-tournament friendly against fellow finalists Cameroon – the final match before the announcement of the final
It’s a pleasant afternoon in a packed Borussia-Park, and the crowd are in good voice as the two teams make their way out of the tunnel. In the absence of skipper Philipp Lahm and Miroslav Klose, Per Mertesacker takes the