Torsten Frings has been ruled out of the first two games of the qualifying round for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Frings called up coach Joachim Löw on Sunday evening to report that he was unable to compete. Germany play Liechtenstein on Saturday, September 6 in Vaduz and Finland on Wednesday, September 10 in Helsinki

The midfielder is out due to a nasal bone fracture which he suffered in a collision during a basketball game at a publicity event of his club Werder Bremen on the island Spiekeroog. Frings underwent surgery in a hospital in Bremen.

Still doubtful for the games is Michael Ballack. The German skipper still has problems with his foot and he missed the match of his club FC Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspurs on Sunday.

The German National Team has started their new season with a 2-0 victory against Belgium. In front of 34,117 visitors in Nuremberg's World Cup arena, a penalty from Bastian Schweinsteiger and a coolly taken goal from youngster Marko Marin secured the win.

Schweinsteiger slotted his spot kick low into the net past goalkeeper Stijn Stijnen in the 59th minute after Danish referee Thomas Vejlgaard ruled Daniel van Buyten had fouled Mario Gomez.



With just 13 minutes left, substitute Marin exchanged passes with Philipp Lahm, skipped round a defender and curled a neat shot into the far corner in what was only the 19-year-old's second appearance for his country. The amazing goal shows once again the promise that the young Marin holds for the future of German football. Watch out for the goal in the match highlights below.

Serdar Taci from VfB Stuttgart made his debut in the National Team and played for the whole match in defence alongside Heiko Westermann, turning in a credible performance to help keep a clean sheet.



"Considering it's so early in the season it was good to see the ball moving around so rapidly," Germany coach Joachim Loew said in a television interview. "We tried to play some good football and it went pretty well."

Watch highlights of the game here.>>

Germany won their third consecutive Olympics bronze medal but made heavy weather of it against never-say-die Japan with a hard-fought 2-0 victory in the womens football playoff at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing on Thursday.

Fatmire Bajramaj proved the winning substitution coming on in the 60th minute and scoring twice late in the game to give the Germans third place in the tournament.

Bajramaj broke the deadlock nine minutes after coming on after Kerstin Garefrekes' header was partially blocked by Japanese goalkeeper Miho Fukumoto. Bajramaj hooked in the rebound from a tight angle to finally crack the Japanese resistance.

And she was again on the spot when she fired home from close range with three minutes left to clinch victory. Germany have won bronze in their last two Games - they defeated Sweden in Athens in the third-place play-off and Brazil in Sydney in 2000.

The Germans missed their chance to play in the Beijing final when they were beaten 4-1 by Brazil in Tuesday's semi-final in Shanghai.

Bayern Munich hope last season's Bundesliga top scorer Luca Toni will return from injury for Saturday's match at Borussia Dortmund and inject some impetus into the German champions' campaign.

The Bavarians could manage only a draw in their first match of the season last week at home to Hamburg SV and were clearly missing the Italy striker, who scored 24 goals in his debut season but has been sidelined by a calf muscle strain.

'It's looking very good for Luca,' coach Juergen Klinsmann said on Bayern's website.

'We are hoping he'll be back on board on Saturday and then things will look a bit different again.'

There was also some positive news about Bayern's French international midfielder Franck Ribery, who was injured at Euro 2008 but should return to light training at the weekend, Klinsmann said.

The former Germany coach has had to cope with a raft of other injuries and midfielder Hamit Altintop and defender Martin Demichelis were also missing against Hamburg.

'Of course we are lacking the presence on the pitch of these kinds of people, which in itself commands respect from opponents,' Klinsmann said. 'But that's the way it is and we make the best of all situations.'

Bayern looked second best for much of last week's match, Klinsmann's first Bundesliga game in charge, and were lucky to claim a point as the visitors twice struck a post.

'We weren't pressing the opposition enough and we have to be more physical and prevent the crosses coming in,' he said.

Promoted 1899 Hoffenheim pulled off a 3-0 away win over Energie Cottbus last weekend to finish their first day as a Bundesliga club on top of the league table.

Hoffenheim were joined by Schalke 04, who beat Hanover 96 by the same scoreline.

Schalke, third last term, travel to Bremen on Saturday to play Werder, who pipped them to second place last year and thumped them 5-1 in the process.

Schalke defender Marcelo Bordon said the significance of that match should not be exaggerated.

'We were suffering a bit after a difficult Champions League tie against Barcelona and had a really bad day,' Bordon said on Schalke's website.

'Apart from that one match, we have often looked really good against Bremen,' he added.

Jens Lehmann announced his retirement from the German national team following a talk with DFB-coach Joachim Löw and goalkeepers coach Andreas Köpke on Friday. The 38-year old Lehmann was given his debut on February 18, 1998, in a game against the Emirate of Oman. His career encompassed 61 international appearances as well as three World Cups and three European Championships.

During the two-hour talk, Jens Lehmann and Joachim Löw agreed that the time has come for some of the younger talents to guard the German goal, especially looking forward to South Africa 2010. Following the meeting, Löw said: “We had a very good discussion. Evaluating the situation, we were on the exact same wavelength. I thanked Jens for his great career in our team. Fans will always remember his fantastic saves in our win over Argentina at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also played a pivotal role at the EURO this year. He has done so much for German football, and I chose to consult him in the most important matters.”

Jens Lehmann said: “I could not give Joachim Löw any guarantees that I would extend my career beyond this one year, for which I have signed a contract with the VfB Stuttgart. Therefore I offered Löw and Köpke my resignation. I had a great run in the national team. These last few years in England, the national team had been my contact home. More than any other event, I will always remember the 2006 World Cup.”

Bayern Munich will once again be the team to beat as Europe's best-attended league, the Bundesliga, kicks off on Friday.

The reigning champions are favourites to retain their crown, but it will not be an easy ride for the Bavarian giants as they search for their 21st league title.

Jurgen Klinsmann has replaced Ottmar Hitzfeld at the helm, despite the Munich side securing the double last term.

The appointment of the former Germany coach is one of many changes amongst the top sides, with Schalke, Bayer Leverkusen, Hamburg and Borussia Dortmund all replacing their coaches in a bid to end Bayern's domination.

Werder Bremen boss Thomas Schaaf is a rare exception and, as he prepares for his 10th campaign at the Weserstadion, is by far the longest-serving coach in the Bundesliga.

One of the newest is Schalke boss Fred Rutten, who has arrived from FC Twente in Holland.

'I am really proud to be able to work in a great league with a very big club,' he said.

'Schalke and I go well together and I am certain that we can take some steps forward in the future. In football, anything is possible.'

Schalke have often been just a step away from their first Bundesliga title.

A stoppage-time goal on the final day of the season in 2001 cost them the title and two years ago they threw away a seemingly unassailable lead to allow Stuttgart to overtake them on the penultimate weekend of the season.

New signings Jefferson Farfan and Orlando Engelaar have raised the level of expectation in Gelsenkirchen.

Dortmund appear to be turning the corner and the 2002 champions hope the arrival of coach Jurgen Klopp can propel them back into the leading pack.

Klopp was the man who led Mainz to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2004 while his endearing style as a pundit for German television has made him a firm fans' favourite.

'The players are as crazy about football as I am and so it is no wonder that I get on so well with them,' he said. 'We want to make the fans enjoy football again.'

There is plenty of room for improvement in Dortmund after finishing 13th last year.

By contrast, Wolfsburg stunned the Bundesliga last season by finishing fifth and qualifying for the UEFA Cup a year after struggling against relegation.

Their success is typical of coach Felix Magath, who led Bayern to consecutive league and cup doubles and is focused on moulding the Wolves into genuine title contenders.

Magath has splashed out over 25 million euros on Italy's World Cup winners Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo as well as talented former Bayern midfielder Zvjezdan Misimovic in an attempt to improve on last term.

'Wolfsburg are one of the title favourites,' admitted Cologne boss Christoph Daum, whose former club Bayer Leverkusen are also potential challengers.

Leverkusen, like Westphalian neighbours Dortmund and Schalke, changed their coach this summer with Bruno Labbadia replacing Michael Skibbe.

Labbadia's task in his first appointment in the Bundesliga will be to transform the club from a top-six side to serious title contenders.

Promising German striker Patrick Helmes and Brazilian playmaker Renato Augusto could help him achieve that objective.

Elsewhere, Martin Jol takes over from compatriot Huub Stevens in charge of Hamburg, who will be the first side to meet Bayern on Friday and lay out their own title credentials.

At the other end of the table, Energie Cottbus, Arminia Bielefeld and Bochum are favourites for relegation, but all three clubs have proven their resilience in recent years to remain in the top flight.

Newcomers Hoffenheim, Borussia Monchengladbach and Cologne would be happy to repeat this feat and maintain their Bundesliga status after promotion from the second division last season.

Markus Rosenberg scored four goals and Hugo Almeida added three to help Werder Bremen crush fourth-division Eintracht Nordhorn 9-3 in the first round of the German Cup on Saturday, while a match involving Hannover was interrupted by clashes between rival fans.

Other top-division Bundesliga teams also advanced with big wins over lowly opposition.

Hannover crushed Hallescher FC 5-0 in a match that was interrupted for 10 minutes late in the game when fans started fighting. Police intervened to restore order before the match could be resumed. There were no reports of injuries or arrests. Arnold Brugging scored two goals for Hannover.

Ivica Olic had two goals and Paolo Guerrero scored one in Hamburger SV's 3-1 win over second-division FC Ingolstadt. Marko Marin notched three in Borussia Moenchengladbach's 8-1 thrashing of seventh-division Fichte Bielefeld.

Juergen Klopp had a successful official debut as coach of Borussia Dortmund when his new team beat fourth-division Rot-Weiss Essen 3-1 on goals from Tamas Hajnal, Florian Kringe and Nelson Valdez.

Stuttgart director of sport Horst Heldt has spoken of his surprise at the way Bayern Munich general manager Uli Hoeness continues to court Mario Gomez.

Stuttgart rejected an offer from Bayern for the Germany striker this summer, declaring the issue closed, but Hoeness revealed recently that a lot of money had been put on the table.

He confirmed that Bayern would keep monitoring the situation and a repeat bid next year is likely, but Heldt cannot understand why Hoeness will not give up the ghost.

'I find it quite strange that for weeks now he continues to speculate about it in public,' Heldt told Sport Bild magazine.

'Our decision has been taken and we are not interested in any sums that are being bandied around.

'25, 30 or 35 million (euros) - that does not play a role for us anymore.'

Hoeness claimed that Gomez was keen on joining Bayern and that an agreement with the player had been reached, but Stuttgart did not relent when they received a lucrative offer which would have broken the Bundesliga transfer record.

Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann is running out of options ahead of the start of the season with Martin Demichelis the latest player to suffer injury.

The Argentinian defender damaged his lower leg during Tuesday night's 1-0 friendly defeat to Internazionale and was taken off as a precautionary measure in the first half.

However, tests carried out on Wednesday revealed the seriousness of the injury and Demichelis could miss up to a month.

'It depends on how the healing process goes as to whether he is back in two, three or four weeks,' revealed Klinsmann.

'We are slowly getting a bit thin on the ground.'

Demichelis joins Tim Borowski, Hans-Jorg Butt, Luca Toni, Willy Sagnol and Franck Ribery in the treatment room, while Bastian Schweinsteiger is also a doubt for Sunday's first competitive game of the season in the DFB-Pokal at Erfurt.

The Germany midfielder has the flu, although Klinsmann believes it 'is possible that he can play on Sunday.'

Klinsmann told the club's website: 'That depends on his fitness values.'

With Breno and Jose Ernesto Sosa in action at the Olympic Games, Klinsmann is potentially without nine members of his squad this weekend.

The quest of the German women’s football team for a gold medal starts off this Wednesday with the much anticipated rematch of last year’s FIFA World Cup final. Germany face Brazil on Wednesday in Shenyang, a metropolis of seven million citizens in the Northeast of China.

Two of the tournament’s strongest teams clash in the Olympic opener, but German coach Silvia Neid and her experienced team feel rather confident meeting FIFA’s Player of the Year, Marta. “So we face Brazil very early. Doesn’t matter to me. Gold is the goal, so we have to beat everybody anyway”, says Birgit Prinz, a three-time “FIFA PoY” herself.

Which is far from saying, that the German team does not respect a Brazil team packed with so many skillful players. But then, the reigning World- and European Champions have a lot to offer themselves. And they are eager to win Gold at the Olympics, a title that has evaded them so far. “My team has set their sight on the Olympic title, but we are very much aware at the same time, that playing Brazil is a tough challenge. Maybe one shot or one save will make the difference”, says Neid.

The players’ path cross each others every day prior to their game on Wednesday, as both teams lodge at the same hotel, the Marvelot in Shenyang. The DFB-team then play Nigeria (August 9) and North Korea (August 12), both belonging to the small circle of elite teams. “Fullfilling our dream of a gold medal will not be easy at all”, says DFB-President Dr. Theo Zwanziger.

Neid has given her team a day off on Tuesday, which some players spent by visiting the traditional Emperor’s Palace, while most went shopping downtown. Germany has yet to lose against the South Americans, having won four of the six encounters so far. On Wednesday, both teams will have to endure severe heat and humidity. For days now, temperatures in Shenyang have been high. The game, scheduled for a 5 P.M. kickoff, is expected to be played at 32 degrees Celsius.

Because of a slight knee injury, Neid needs to replace forward Conny Pohlers in the starting line-up. Some also gloomily predict a loss because of the sub-par showing at the warm-up game against Norway. Nothing worries Silvia Neid, who insists that her team “is in better shape than at the 2007 World Cup”. 16 of her 18 players won the World Championship in China last year.

But Brazil’s “selecao feminina” awaits the match with just as much eager anticipation and intensity. “We have improved since last year. This team has enough talent to win gold”, says Marta, and her team-mate Daniela adds with fervor: “We’ll play them as if it were a final.”

Germany international Mario Gomez insists he is committed to Stuttgart despite reports linking him with Bayern Munich this summer.

Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness claimed talks with the striker were at an advanced stage and Gomez had given his word he would like to join the German champions.

However, a bid of 25 million euros was rejected by Stuttgart, meaning Gomez will spend another season with the Swabians.

'I have made my view on this clear and now I am just looking forward to the new season with VfB,' he told Kicker magazine.

Gomez has been the club's top goalscorer for the past two seasons, winning the Bundesliga's golden boot award in 2007 when Stuttgart claimed the title, but his form dipped at Euro 2008 where he was unable to find the back of the net.

It has been suggested that ongoing speculation surrounding his future at Stuttgart affected his form in Austria and Switzerland, but Gomez was quick to dismiss any excuses.

'The European Championships is a long time ago, as far back as the league title in 2007,' added the 23-year-old.

'I am not wasting any thoughts on that. I am in Stuttgart and happy here. That is it.'

Gomez is now aiming to help his side re-gain their winning form and mount another challenge for silverware this season.

'I am convinced that we can play better this season,' he continued. 'Winning the league may not be our aim, but then who knows what will happen. Two years ago, we didn't speak of the title either.

'There are teams with bigger stars than us, but we are a very good team.'

Stuttgart's league campaign starts on August 17 at Borussia Monchengladbach.