Don't write them off......
- 27 Jun 06, 06:52 PM
OLYMPIC STADIUM, BERLIN - Michael Ballack wasn't at training which caused a brief flutter of excitment amongst those of us at the German training ground next door to where they hope to win the World Cup on July 9th.
When Miroslav Klose falied to show as well it became a major news event until the German Football Federation's (DFB) highly efficient media staff nipped any talk of a selection crisis in the bud with a quick bulletin on their fitness which was quickly gobbled up by the half-dozen or so TV stations taking Robert Huth sweating profusely live.
/blogs/worldcup/2006/06/doing_it_jurgens_way.htmlTraining was completely open but we learnt little about how Germany will play. They barely saw a ball all morning as the fitness coaches put the players through a gruelling set of drills, including the one where they have to sprint dragging weights behind them which looked horrible in such unforgiving heat.
Whatever is thought about their overall ability, there's not a fitter team left in the competition and coupled with a crowd whipped into a frenzy the slightest opportunity, Germany do now believe.
The players all looked happy and relaxed as they mixed with the media afterwards. Bastian Schweinsteiger clearly loves the limelight and was chatting to anyone who wanted him while Robert Huth gave the two members of the English media there a very helpful five minutes on how Hernan Crespo might be stopped on Friday.
It should be a classic, well better than Ukraine v Switzerland anyway.....
Quiz answer - well done to those who said Sunderland´s Julio Arca was captain of Argentina in the final of the World Under 20s in 2001. They beat Ghana 3-0 in Buenos Aires.
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Being the host nation Germany has some advantages and also has some pressure as fans have a lot of expectation. It can not be decided now whether they will be able to translate the fans’ expectations in the field or not. It is clearly understandable that the winner of the match between Argentina and Germany will have the biggest priority to be the winner in Berlin on 9th June. It is impossible to predict the winner of this match as both the team have ability to win the cup and as both have the trademark of favorite team, they can figure out their best performance any time. Here, it is worthless to turn the performance of the teams in the last matches as they have ability to make their way to the final.
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More importantly, Michael Ballack looks quite a lot like Matt Damon with a floppy black wig.
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It will be an interesting game between Argentina and Germany on Friday. I believe Germany has the edge.
The Germans can win if they play well. It's time for Michael Ballack to score.
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My faith in the team has increased as the tournament has gone on - I think we can take Argentina.
And Ballack is well overdue a goal or two.
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I've just come back from that game in question! You can see my photos here:
Try spot prince william !
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Germany will defeat Argentina. Bye, bye Argentina. The German team is the better one. The stronger one.
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Germany have certainly looked like the fittest team in this competition. With American fitness trainers and trained sports psychologists attending to the players' physical and mental capacities, no team will be more match fit than Klinsmann's men.
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