The German Olympic football teams headed into their final two matches hunting for two gold medals. After over three hours of pulsating actionin Rio’s famous Maracanã stadium over two evenings, they almost made it. A stunning first Olympic gold for
An Olympic Interlude
The Euros are over and the Bundesliga season is yet to begin, but Germany are in action in Rio again. In the city where Die Nationalmannschaft won their fourth world crown two years ago, the German men’s Olympic team are
Dropping like flies again
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
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
England v Germany: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
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
Merte is the Master at Wembley
It’s a dry but slightly chilly evening in North-West London, with England taking on a German side described by many as a B-Team in front of a crowd of just under eighty-six thousand. The home team are in their white
Italy v Germany: Match Analysis and Player Ratings
Joachim Löw’s side would close out 2013 with two prestige friendlies, the first of which would take place in Milan’s famous San Siro against old rivals and tournament bête noire Italy. The encounter would give the Nationaltrainer the perfect opportunity
The Long Wait Continues
Having been unable to watch this game live – it would not be broadcast in the United Kingdom and I would be in Edinburgh having dinner after a long walk in the city – I would return home to watch
2013 US Tour School Report
I started writing this two-match report after the first instalment of Germany’s much-criticised post-season (or should I say tail of the season) tour against Ecuador in Boca Raton, but the second match against the United States would leave me somewhat
A Weird Encounter in Washington
It’s a warm and humid afternoon in Washington DC, and both teams make their way out into the RFK Memorial Stadium for what is the Nationalmannschaft’s final game of what has been a fantastic season for German football. The game
Retained, Recalled, Recruited.
So, we have our squad of twenty-three players for the two-match tour of the United States, numbered from one to twenty-four with no number nineteen. Weird. Maybe Paul Hardcastle had something to do with it. With the entire core contingent
Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan, better than Uzbekistan…
It’s that time again, and the upcoming double-header – and what should hopefully be the full complement of six points – against Kazakhstan in Astana and then four days later in Nürnberg.