It happens nearly every time we watch a major international tournament. The first four group games are over, the final two remain, and we all run away back to the classroom and a subject many of us hated – numbers,
Back to the Classroom
CR7, Pepe, Figo, Eusébio, António Salazar, Nelly Furtado… We gave your guys one hell of a right royal beating!
Time now for video blog number three, having given myself a few days to sober up and calm down after the fantastic 4-0 thrashing of Portugal to get the the Nationalmannschaft’s World Cup off to a cracking start. A Thomas
Germany v Portugal: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
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
Slaughter in Salvador: It’s Müller Time as Portugal are Pummelled
So finally, the show begins with the opening match against Portugal. It’s a bright afternoon in Salvador, the port city in north-east of Brazil and capital of the Bahia region. It is the second game to be played at the
So it begins…
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
Yet another Group of Death
Yes, it’s getting a little boring now. While some seeded teams would get away with some really easy groups – I’m looking at you, Argentina and Belgium – Germany would again end up with a stinker. In short, yet another
Another man down
The squad of twenty-seven players taken to the training camp in Italy is now down to twenty-six, following the withdrawal of gritty midfielder Lars Bender thorough injury. The absence of the Bayer 04 Leverkusen defensive midfielder leaves Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw
The Group of Pain
So, the draw for the World Cup has been made, and Germany have ended up in one of those iffy foursomes that can be classified as not the best, but at the same time not the worst. While England and
Mario Balotelli ruined my Summer
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
Germany v Portugal: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
Now that we have all had a very pleasant night’s sleep – or not, if you happen to be currently in Lviv – we can take a closer look at yesterday’s performance – and the player ratings. There were some
Rabbits out of the hat, and a winning start
What a match. Seventy minutes of frustration, one minute of sheer elation, and just under twenty minutes of desperation and panic. But all in all, a successful start to the Euro 2012 campaign and three points safely in the bag.
The Team According to Kicker
So, we now have less than two hours to go until the Nationalmannschaft’s tournament kicks off – so here’s a brief overview of the eleven players that are likely to start against Portugal in the Arena Lviv. Kicker Online have