Veteran striker Oliver Neuville and captain Michael Ballack sealed a 2-1 win over Serbia in the hosts' final Euro 2008 warm-up. Germany were down 1-0 at half-time before Neuville and Ballack struck to give Germany the perfect send off to Euro 2008.
Chelsea midfielder Ballack unleashed a free-kick on 82 minutes to complete Germany's come-back after Neuville had equalised after Serbian midfielder Bosko Jankovic had grabbed the first-half goal. Borussia Moenchengladbach forward Neuville, 35, scored his first international goal in almost two years on 74 minutes to equalize as the hosts looked to be heading for defeat.
With a week until his side begin their Euro 2008 campaign against Poland in Klagenfurt on June 8, this was the result Germany coach Joachim Loew wanted. After his side surrendered a two-goal lead in their 2-2 draw with minnows Belarus on Tuesday night in Kaiserslautern, Loew had promised an improved performance and his side delivered despite their early set back. Although Serbia - who lost out to Portugal and Poland in Euro 2008 qualification - led the home side for 74 minutes, Germany largely dominated the game.
The hosts fell behind on 18 minutes when a superb pass from midfielder Sasa Ilic split the defence and centre-back Christoph Metzelder was sluggish to respond as midfielder Bosko Jankovic sprinted into the penalty area. The 24-year-old made no mistake and drilled his shot through the legs of Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann to give his side the lead.
The hosts responded by laying siege to the Serbian goal with Ballack and striker Mario Gomez both going close. Ballack headed straight at Serbian goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic on 38 minutes while earlier Gomez had scuffed his shot with the goal at his mercy as the German attack poured forward.
Hertha Berlin defender Arne Friedrich came on at the break for Bremen's Per Mertesacker and striker Lukas Podolski took over from defender Philipp Lahm as Germany went all out for a goal. But it was the Serbians who rattled the cross-bar with Lehmann beaten early in the second-half.
Germany finally got the break through they craved when Ballack slid a pass into defender Marcell Jansen on the edge of the Serb's penalty area and he rocketed a cross in for Neuville to smash past Stojkovic on 74 minutes. And Ballack rifled his free-kick through a Serbian wall of defenders to give Germany the lead.
Former Germany number one Oliver Kahn has challenged Jens Lehmann's claim that the Euro 2008 ball deviates in the air.
Lehmann has admitted he is struggling to adjust to the flight of the new ball after conceding two soft goals in Germany's surprise 2-2 with Belarus on Tuesday. The former Arsenal goalkeeper, who hardly featured for the London club last season, feels he needs more time to get used to the movement of the ball.
But Kahn, Lehmann's rival for the number one spot leading up to the 2006 World Cup, insists that there is no problem with the ball. The former Bayern Munich keeper, who retired at the end of this season, told the Bild newspaper: 'At Bayern Munich we played all of our home games in the second half of the season with the this Euro ball. And I have to say, it is clearly better than its predecessors.' He added: 'It is covered on the outside with minute bumps. They provide the goalkeepers with a firmness of grip. I also cannot say for sure that the ball deviates in flight if the wind suddenly turns. But the ball is of course seriously quick - an advantage for the attackers.'
What else needs to be said about one of Germany's most experienced players in the current squad? You've seen his heroics in the past two World Cups, scoring 5 goals in 2002 and winning the Golden Boot in 2006. He now has a total tally of 10 World Cup goals. With 39 goals out of 75 appearances for the team, he's currently ranked 6th in Germany's all time top scorer's list, joining the ranks of past greats like Uwe Seeler and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. He still has someway to go to beat his former coach, Jürgen Klinsmann. With his place on the squad almost guaranteed for Euro 2008, it seems like he has a good chance of bettering his goalscoring tally.
Klose is known for his goalscoring instincts, aerial ability, and unselfish play. His consistency as a goal-scorer in his first season at Kaiserslautern earned him his first international cap and he made his debut against Albania on March 24, 2001. Germany won the match 2–1, with Klose scoring Germany's second goal. He continued to impress and was chosen for the 2002 World Cup. He scored a hat-trick against Saudi Arabia in the opening game and performed his trademark goal celebration of a front-flip five times during the 2002 World Cup.
Klose was named to his second successive World Cup team for the 2006 World Cup. In the opening match against Costa Rica, coinciding with his 28th birthday, Klose scored two goals for Germany, in the 17th and 61st minutes, helping them to a 4-2 win. He scored another two goals against Ecuador on June 20, putting him on top of the tournament top scorer list with four goals. Klose also played a major part in Germany's 2–0 win over Sweden in the first knockout round, demonstrating his ability to provide assists as he set up strike partner Lukas Podolski for both goals.
Probably one of the most important goals Klose scored was against Argentina in the quarterfinals, where he scored the equalizing goal when Germany were down 1-0. Germany than went on to win the game on a penalty shootout. Klose is the first German since Gerd Müller in the 1970s to become the top scorer at a World Cup, and the first World Cup finals top scorer from unified Germany.
If his current form is anything to go by, we expect to be seeing more of him during Euro 2008. But for now, we will just enjoy watching some of the highlights of the goals he's scored.
Top 10 Klose goals in the Bundesliga.
Top 10 Klose goals for country.
Germany's goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has admitted that he is struggling to adjust to the new ball that will be used at Euro 2008. The official Euro 2008 ball, dubbed the Europass, is made by Adidas and has a new surface structure which the makers say creates greater swerve.
The 14-panels of the Europass have been joined together using Adidas' revolutionary Thermal Bonding Technology, which - along with the unique PSC-Texture surface structure - is supposed to ensure exceptional ball control, greater power transmission, swerve and accuracy, in all types of weather.
Lehmann's performance in Tuesday's friendly with Belarus was widely criticized as Germany let slip a two-goal lead to draw 2-2. Lehmann, who has scarcely featured for his club this season, conceded twice in the last 30 minutes to Vitali Bulyga to once again raise questions over his suitability as the number one keeper for Germany in Austria and Switzerland.
And Lehmann revealed this week that he was finding the movement of the new ball difficult to cope with. Speaking to Kicker magazine, he said: 'The ball is very difficult for me. I only trained with it for the first time a week ago. It is once again different to the ones before it. I had a situation in the first half (against Belarus) where I wanted to hold on to the ball - and then it started to move around. I hope in the coming days, when also my freshness will come back, that I then have a bit of time for a lot of shot training in order to get more familiar with the ball.'
Low admitted Lehmann is still short of match practice, but claimed he had no intention of dropping him. He told the German FA's official website: 'You can sense that he needs games. He will definitely play in goal against Serbia on Saturday. We still trust him.' The Germany coach has included Hannover's Robert Enke and uncapped Bayer Leverkusen youngster Rene Adler as the other two goalkeepers on his squad.
Lehmann has not been the only goalkeeper to have complained about the new ball. The two goalkeepers on Italy's Euro 2008 squad, Gianluigi Buffon and Marco Amelia, have also spoken out against the ball, with Amerlia calling the flight of the ball "erratic". The build-up to big tournaments is often dominated by goalkeepers worrying about new balls, which are brought out especially for the events.
Edit: Here's an interesting video about how the Europass ball is made.
As the countdown to Euro 2008 heats up, we're starting a column here on GFT (German Football Team) that features a national team player each day. Today, we're starting with Marko Marin, a player that was only yesterday taken off the final Euro squad.
Although he will not be taking part in the Euro 2008 tournament, this is definitely not going to be the last time that we'll see the talented 19 year old winger. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marin began his footballing career as a youth player, first with SG 01 Hoechst and then with Eintracht Frankfurt. In 2006, he moved to the youth academy of Borussia Mönchengladbach. After a year in the academy, he signed a 3-year contract with the team, making his professional debut in the Bundesliga late in the 2006/2007 season. He came on as a substitute in a game against Eintracht Frankfurt and crowned his cameo with an assist, which helped Gladbach to a last minute 1-1 draw. He was also called up to the under-21 national squad and made 4 appearances for them.
In a surprising move, coach Joachim Löw included him in the provisional 26-man squad for Euro 2008. Löw had said he only needed to watch Marin play for 10 minutes to make up his mind. Marin earned his first cap for the national team on May 27, 2008 against Belarus, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Although he was eventually cut from the final 23-man squad, Löw said: "(He has a) good chance to be back in the national team after the Euro and play a good role in it."
Marin is known for his outstanding ball handling skills and creativity on the ball. Although he has been playing in the 2nd Bundesliga for the past season, it has not stopped him from putting on a display of his skills on a weekly basis. In the last 13 2nd Bundesliga matches, Marin scored four goals and provided 8 assists.
Here are a few videos of his skills on display, proving his strong potential as a future national team player. We are sure this is only the first of many more times that Marko Marin will be featured on GFT!
Here's the updated team list of the final 23 players selected for Euro 2008 by Löw:
Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal FC), Robert Enke (Hannover 96), René Adler (Bayer 04 Leverkusen).
Defenders: Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid CF), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München), Arne Friedrich (Hertha BSC Berlin), Marcell Jansen (FC Bayern München), Clemens Fritz (Werder Bremen), Heiko Westermann (FC Schalke 04).
Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea FC), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Simon Rolfes (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (FC Bayern München), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburger SV), Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), David Odonkor (Real Betis Balompié).
Forwards: Miroslav Klose (FC Bayern München), Lukas Podolski (FC Bayern München), Mario Gómez (VfB Stuttgart), Kevin Kuranyi (FC Schalke 04), Oliver Neuville (VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach).
Coach Joachim Löw has confirmed his final 23-man squad for EURO 2008 with midfielders Markus Marin and Jermaine Jones and striker Patrick Helmes missing the cut.
The three players came on during the 2nd half of the friendly against Belarus on Tuesday, but failed to impress sufficiently to make the final cut for the team. The team had let slip a 2-goal advantage during the 2nd half of the game to tie 2-2 with Belarus.
The FC Schalke 04 midfielder Jones, the 19-year-old Marin – an attacking midfielder with VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach – and Helmes, who scored 17 goals in 1. FC Köln's promotion-winning campaign, were told of the decision at 11.30 this morning and will leave the training camp later today.
“This was a very tough decision for our entire coaching staff. Each of the three players would have deserved a slot on the team.”, said Löw.
Patrick Helmes said following the decision: "Obviously I'm disappointed - it would have been great to compete at the EURO. Hopefully, I'll get another shot following this summer. Naturally, I keep my fingers crossed that the team does well at the EURO."
Jermaine Jones said: "Playing at the EURO had been my major goal. But I gave it my best shot, so I have no reason to hang my head low. Hopefully, the team does well. It would be great, if we could win the title."
Marko Marin, the youngest member of the 26-player roster, said: "Making this first step has been a great experience. I'm still young and I hope to get another chance in the future."
Germany squandered a two-goal lead to draw against Belarus in their penultimate Euro 2008 warm-up friendly on Tuesday evening. The result leaves coach Joachim Low with much to think about as he still has to make his final squad selection of 23 players, out of the 26 he has currently chosen, for Austria and Switzerland by midday on Wednesday.
Miroslav Klose, a player guaranteed to make the final cut, put Germany ahead in the 10th minute while an own goal from Vladimir Korytko doubled their advantage 10 minutes later. Vitali Bulyga got one back after an hour and managed to grab an equaliser for battling Belarus two minutes from the end.
Low gave David Odonkor his first start since October in a midfield that also included captain Michael Ballack, who had just joined up with the team on Monday. Bayern Munich pair Klose and Lukas Podolski formed the attack with Mario Gomez left back at training camp in Mallorca due to a calf problem, while Real Madrid's Christoph Metzelder gained match practice at centre-back and Thomas Hitzlsperger slotted in at left-back.
And it did not take long for Low's new-look team to settle as Klose opened the scoring early on. Klose looked marginally offside when he received the ball from Podolski but kept his cool to round Belarus goalkeeper Vasili Khomutovski and tap home.
There was no doubt over the legitimacy of Germany's second goal as Korytko fired through his own net from Odonkor's teasing cross. Germany continued to dominate possession with Ballack pulling the strings at the heart of the midfield and almost setting up Klose for a third after 30 minutes.
Low gave Borussia Monchengladbach winger Marko Marin his debut at the start of the second half while Jermaine Jones was also given 45 minutes to prove himself, replacing Ballack at the restart. Jones came close to scoring his first international goal five minutes after entering the fray but his shot from the edge of the area was deflected just wide of the post.
Belarus narrowed the gap after an hour when Bulyga's shot from just inside the penalty area found the back of net despite the best efforts of Jens Lehmann.
Marin showed off some of his skills to dribble past three Belarus defenders and earn Germany a free-kick which Piotr Trochowski curled just side of the post as the home side looked to hit back immediately.
But it was Belarus who had the final laugh through the lively Bulyga, who showed up Metzelder's lack of fitness by outstripping the Madrid man on the edge of the area and firing a low shot beyond Lehmann which the goalkeeper will feel he might have kept out.
Germany will complete their warm-up programme on Saturday (31st May) against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen. They open their UEFA EURO 2008™ Group B bid against Poland in Klagenfurt on 8 June before facing Croatia there four days later. They then visit Vienna to take on co-hosts Austria on 16 June in their final group match.
Michael Ballack joined the German national team on Monday. The Captain arrived at the Homburger Waldstadion five days after he and the FC Chelsea had lost the Champions League final against Manchester United in Moscow (5-6 after penalties).
In Homburg, Ballack met his teammates, which arrived from a pre-tournament training camp on the island of Mallorca. The 31-year-old midfielder flew in directly from London.
"I am delighted to be back among the squad, I am really impatient for the tournament to begin", said Ballack, who was welcomed by several hundred fans in front of the stadium. He took some time to sign autographs as did several other players of the team, much to the delight of the waiting crowd. Asked for his feelings after the lost final he said: "I had a few days to rest, now I look forward to the tournament."
Drizzle and unseasonably cold temperatures around 16 degrees Celsius greeted Joachim Löw and his players as the German team arrived on Mallorca. The plane landed at 5.32 P.M. on Monday. It marked the beginning of the final countdown for the EURO 2008. In 19 days, Germany will be facing Poland in their tournament opener.
“It’s about time. I look forward to practicing with my players. Hopefully we can get through this final preparation phase without any injuries”, said Löw on Monday.
The team headed for the Mallorca team hotel, the Arabella Sheraton Golf, where eight camera teams and roughly 50 fans eagerly awaited their arrival. Hotel personnel lined-up in a cordon, while a huge welcome sign greeted the 24 players. Löw has nominated 26 players, with Christoph Metzelder (Real Madrid) and Michael Ballack (Chelsea) expected to join the team later. The team will stay on the Balearic island until May 30.
Rest and relaxation is Löw’s priority for the first few days. Following a demanding season, players should first focus on getting adequate rest. Many German national players were joined by their wives and girlfriends for the initial phase of camp. “Starting end of the week, we’ll start practicing twice a day. Players should expect long days. Even though we give them a moment to catch their breath first, we have no time to waste.”
Every minute of the preparation leading up to the June 8 match against Poland in Klagenfurt has been meticulously planned. The operational manual alone covers 103 pages. Even the salt content of the swimming pool has been checked and modified.
Time is of the essence, as the team has five days less to get into shape compared to the 2006 FIFA World Cup. “We had to tighten the agenda”, said the team’s manager Oliver Bierhoff. The team will practice in the Estadio Son Moix, usually the home turf for Real Mallorca. Practice fields were prepared days ago. Recreational areas have been set-up in the hotel, so that players can get together in their off hours, instead of spending the entire leisure time in their own rooms. “Conditions are superb”, said Löw, who has nominated two debutants for the preliminary roster. 19-year old Marko Marin (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Bayer Leverkusen’s René Adler have not played for Germany before.
Each player received an individualized practice agenda at their arrival. Löw also stressed some rules of behavior, such as “discipline, respect, punctuality and a communicative attitude”. “We want players that are leaders, that take responsibility, who can admit that they made a mistake and who show comradeship even in the face of failure.”
Germany’s coach Joachim Löw has moved 26 players on a preliminary roster for the UEFA EURO 2008. The team departed for a pre-tournament training camp to be held on the island of Mallorca on Monday.
Until Wednesday, May 28, Löw will have to reduce the roster to 23 players following UEFA regulations. The nomination procedure took place during a unique and breathtaking media event on top of Germany’s highest mountain peak, the 2962 meter high Zugspitze, on Friday.
Team captain Michael Ballack leads the team. Next to him, 14 other players were already a member of the team that had finished in third place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, including goalkeeper Jens Lehmann and Miroslav Klose, the 2006 tournament’s leading scorer.
Two debutants made the roster: Leverkusen’s goalkeeper René Adler and the 19-year old Marko Marin from Borussia Mönchengladbach. Two rather new faces on the team will be Schalke’s Heiko Westermann and Jermaine Jones, both were nominated for the game against Austria in early February.
Goalkeeper Robert Enke, defender Clemens Fritz, midfielders Simon Rolfes and Piotr Trochowski and forwards Mario Gomez and Patrick Helmes also made the list. Enke and Adler will back-up goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, while Löw eliminated Valencia’s keeper Timo Hildebrand from the EURO roster.
Bayern Munich secured their 21st German league title and completed a domestic double for the third time in four seasons when they drew 0-0 away to VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday.
Bayern's draw stretched their lead over closest rivals Werder Bremen to 10 points with just three games left and set off the traditionally soggy celebrations, as the players soaked each other, and anyone else on the field, with beer.
'It's a special achievement,' outgoing coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told reporters between soakings. 'There was a lot of expectation and the pressure was enormous but now we've done it.'
The Bavarian club's 20th title since the Bundesliga era began in 1963 follows their German Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund in Berlin last month. Their only other German Championship success came back in 1932.
Bayern played poorly on Sunday against Wolfsburg, who missed the chance to keep them waiting for the title when Grafite burst through on goal in the final minute only to shoot wide.
With 31 games played, Bayern lead with 67 points, followed by Werder on 57 after their 2-0 win over Energie Cottbus on Saturday. Schalke 04 are two points further back in the third and final Champions League place after a 1-1 draw at home to Hanover 96.
'All in all it's been a fantastic season,' club president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Premiere TV before being drenched in traditional Bavarian Weissbier by midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger. 'We played great football and took a big step forward this season.'
'And Bastian is going up for sale,' he joked in an aside.
Bayern were humiliated 4-0 in their UEFA Cup semi-final second leg against Zenit St Petersburg on Thursday, dashing their hopes of a treble in Hitzfeld's final season before he makes way for incoming coach Juergen Klinsmann.
That heavy defeat should not take too much away from what was a near perfect domestic season for a team inspired by the artistry of midfielder Franck Ribery and the brutal efficiency of Luca Toni up front.
Bayern, who finished outside the Champions League places last season, started the campaign with a 3-0 win at home to Hansa Rostock and they have not relinquished the lead in the table all season.
They have lost just twice in the league so far, and boasts the top scorer in Italian striker Toni, who has bagged 21 goals in 29 Bundesliga matches in his debut season in Germany.
Ribery, the French playmaker signed from Olympique Marseille for 30 million euros, has been a delight to watch, while Oliver Kahn has proved in his final season at the club, and at the age of 38, that he remains one of the world's best keepers.
Germany’s coach Joachim Löw and Bernd Schneider reached an agreement over a telephone conversation on Friday, that Schneider will not be a member of the German roster for the EURO 2008.
The 34-year old Schneider had been operated on his spinal disc last Friday. Schneider and Löw opted to follow the advice of Leverkusen’s medical staff, that the experienced midfielder should not return to practice before next season.
“Obviously, I am very disappointed, but health should always be the overriding priority”, said Schneider. “Who knows, there’s a World Cup being played in two years. But right now, I focus strictly on my recuperation.”
Following their telephone call, Joachim Löw said: “Bernd is such an experienced player and at the same time a brilliant technician. His injury really hurts our team. We refused to take him off the roster following his spinal operation, because we wanted to wait a few days. But today we have to accept that not performing at the EURO just gives him a much better chance to return quickly to his former capacities.”
