Euro 2012 l Team Germany

[freelance_cricketer]

All the Deutschland supporters converge here.

Squad Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer Tim Wiese Ron-Robert Zieler Defenders Marcel Schmelzer Benedikt Höwedes Mats Hummels Holger Badstuber Philipp Lahm Per Mertesacker Jérôme Boateng Midfielders İlkay Gündoğan Sami Khedira Bastian Schweinsteiger Mesut Özil Lars Bender Toni Kroos Mario Götze Marco Reus Forwards André Schürrle Lukas Podolski Miroslav Klose Thomas Müller Mario Gomez Coach: Joachim Löw (GER)

Nice mix of youth and experience in this highly talented squad. Germans definitely play the most attractive brand of soccer. Good luck to them.

[freelance_cricketer]

Klose - 32 years old

Rest-
Schweinsteiger - 26 years Lahm - 26 years Podolski - 25 years Gomez - 25 years Khedira - 23 years Neuer - 24 years Boateng - 22 Hummels - 21 Badstuber - 21 Muller - 21 Ozil - 21 Kroos- 20 Aogo - 23 Mertesacker - 26 Gotze - 18 Trasch-23 Howedes- 22 Reus - 21 Schurrle - 19 Holtby - 20 Bender twins - 21 Gundogan - 19 Schemlzer - 22 Zieler - 21 Grosskreutz - 22

[MVP26]

They are my pick to win euro 2012.

[freelance_cricketer]

Hopefully they have learnt from their semifinal defeat to Spain in WC.

[MVP26]

They were pretty inexperienced back then and played the best football in the whole world cup.

[freelance_cricketer]

Besides they were playing without their key player Michael Ballack in the whole tourney. Certainly this isn't a team that just relies on a couple of big names. They've got loads of players in that squad who can step up in case someone sits out.

[justarslan]

I think Germans have lost their winning touch.

Lost FIFA World Cup 2002 Final.

Lost FIFA World Cup 2006 at Home.

Lost UEFA Euro 2008 Final in their second home.

Lost FIFA World Cup 2010 Semifinal.

Their Top Club FC Bayern Munich lost two European Cup finals, one of them in their home ground.

Germany are the new Netherlands of World Football. Great Football but they cannot win a tournament.

[Desi_Joker]

Oh yes! Let's go Deutschland!!

[freelance_cricketer]

Originally Posted by justarslan I think Germans have lost their winning touch. Lost FIFA World Cup 2002 Final. Lost FIFA World Cup 2006 at Home. Lost UEFA Euro 2008 Final in their second home. Lost FIFA World Cup 2010 Semifinal. Their Top Club FC Bayern Munich lost two European Cup finals, one of them in their home ground. Germany are the new Netherlands of World Football. Great Football but they cannot win a tournament.

Lots of semi-finals and finals in there dude. They have been consistently bringing it. Just gotta take it a step further.

[kingusama92]

Germany should make the final. Real quality in the side.

Eager to see how Gotze does.

[freelance_cricketer]

13th June.
Netherlands vs Germany

[freelance_cricketer]

Need a goalkeeper like Kahn again. Whattay gem !

[Bilal7]

Khedira should play against Netherlands.

[saj786]

Originally Posted by Bilal7 Khedira should play against Netherlands.

with out a doubt he should, kroos is a quality player but khedira under morinhious influence has improved a lot. To be honest podolski could be under threat from schurle, my line up against portugal : nuer,lahm,badstuber,hummels, boetang, schwinestieger,khediera,schurle,ozil, reus,gomez

[justarslan]

Originally Posted by saj786 with out a doubt he should, kroos is a quality player but khedira under morinhious influence has improved a lot. To be honest podolski could be under threat from schurle, my line up against portugal : nuer,lahm,badstuber,hummels, boetang, schwinestieger,khediera,schurle,ozil, reus,gomez

Who is morinhious?

[w8in_4_0402]

Youngest team at the Euros avg age close to 25.

Germany have to live to expectations back home which is to win the euros and also start to play the football they exhibited during the WC.

The backbone of the team is set and we won't see much changes.

They will have 15 player who will used regularly during the World cup.

There are 2 question marks left really.

1 will schweinsteiger be fit to play first game.

2 who will partner Badstuber at back? Tendency goes to mertesacker due to his experience.

Up front low will trust Klose because of his ability to link up well and play the passing game unlike Gomez who is more of a classical Striker/poucher.

The team should look like this

Neuer
Boateng-Merte-Badstuber-Lahm
Khedira-Schweinsteiger/Kroos
Muller-Ozil-Poldi
Klose

Regular subs
Gomez
Reus
Schurrle
Goetze
Kroos

[freelance_cricketer]

3 days to go, can't wait.

[freelance_cricketer]

Klose showing no sign of slowing down

Published: Tuesday 5 June 2012, 16.01CET Miroslav Klose already has a place among Germany's footballing greats, yet though turning 34 on the day of the Group B opener with Portugal, the veteran is far from finished. If they have not done so already, most footballers are certainly contemplating retiring come their mid-30s. Miroslav Klose celebrates his 34th birthday on Saturday, the day of Germany's Group B opener with Portugal, but he has no intention of hanging up his boots just yet. The S.S. Lazio forward earned his first international cap in 2001, only five years after a unified Germany became European champions, adding to West Germany's two previous triumphs. Some 11 years later, Klose is likely to lead the line for his nation in Lviv as they begin their bid for a fourth continental crown, but the veteran striker is not planning on the tournament being his swansong at international level. "I will have to take it from year to year, but of course it's still a goal for me. I'll try schlepping my carcass along as long as possible," said Klose when asked about the possibility of playing at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil where he will start one shy of Ronaldo's record of 15 goals in final tournaments. "I am doing a lot to stay fit. Sometimes my back starts hurting and I notice when I don't work out. It is my opinion that you have to get that last ten to 20 per cent out of yourself. If that's not the case, you are never going to be a good player. And that has always been my mentality and it has served me well." Having left FC Bayern München to move to Italy last summer, Klose certainly made a sprightly start to life in Rome, scoring 12 times in 27 league games. A thigh muscle injury followed by an ankle problem cut short his maiden Serie A campaign, but Germany's pre-tournament preparations in Sardinia, southern France and now Gdansk mean Klose is ready to continue his quest to beat Gerd Müller's record of 68 goals for the Nationalmannschaft. With 63 international strikes to his name already, Klose knows he could eclipse Der Bomber during the tournament with coach Joachim Löw likely to favour the Polish-born Klose as his first-choice forward in Germany's 4-2-3-1 set-up. Though the presence of Bayern's Mario Gomez and the Borussia Dortmund-bound Marco Reus, scorers of 26 and 18 Bundesliga goals respectively last season, makes competition for places fierce, Klose is ready to face the challenge. "Competition keeps you sharp. Any one of us could replace another. Everyone knows what a great striker Mario is and I definitely won't underestimate Marco Reus, our third striker," said Klose, who despite his advancing years does not envy the youth of his team-mates. "What could I use from a young Klose today? I was a dummy back then. I have matured and improved my game, so really, I could use nothing."

[freelance_cricketer]

At 32 Klose's still a gun striker. No hype, no controversies .. this guy is strictly business.

[Amjid Javed]

I expect Germany to be in the final atleast. The strongest sqaud they have had for quite a while. Very experienced team compared to one that lost to spain in last two tourneys (Euros and WC)

[freelance_cricketer]

Germnany vs Ronaldo tonight. Match beginning in 3 hours



Lets go Germany !

[freelance_cricketer]

Gomez is the first goal scorer for Germany. Perfect header into the nets.

[freelance_cricketer]

Great success. Germany defeats Portugal.

[Saj]

I tip them to win Euro 2012.

Solid all round team, the only concern is whether they can score enough goals.

[Amjid Javed]

Originally Posted by Saj I tip them to win Euro 2012. Solid all round team, the only concern is whether they can score enough goals.

With podolski,gomez and klose and players like goetze on the bench! they will score goals.

[MVP26]

Good start to the tournament.

[freelance_cricketer]

Win against Netherlands will knock Netherlands out and take Germany into next round. Big game nicely set up.

[MVP26]

I want both Netherlands and Portugal to be knocked out in the group stages.

[freelance_cricketer]

Netherlands need to lift their game massively in the next two games. Surely if they play the same standard of Soccer, both Portugal and Germany will walk over them with ease.

[MVP26]

I wouldnt count out Denmark as they might upset Portugal and head to the next round.

[freelance_cricketer]

Captain speaks

Philipp Lahm, Germany captain: It was very important to start with a win. In the first half we were the better team and had the better chances, even though Pepe shot against the bar. In the second half it became more and more difficult for us. At the end we have been a little bit lucky, but you need luck to win such matches.

Man of the Match - Mesut Ozil
Well done Ozil.

[freelance_cricketer]

Match report -

Gomez gives Germany edge over Portugal Published: Saturday 9 June 2012, 22.56CET Germany 1-0 Portugal Mario Gomez's second-half header was enough to earn Joachim Löw's men maximum points from a tight encounter in Lviv. by John Atkin Mario Gomez's second-half header earned Germany the spoils in a tense Group B opener, but Portugal pushed them all the way in Lviv. Starved of supply all evening, Gomez feasted when Sami Khedira's delicious cross found him five metres out, nodding it back across Rui Patrício. There were still 17 minutes remaining, enough time for Portugal, who had struck the bar through Pepe before the interval, to lay siege to the German goal. They almost broke through the barricades, too, when two minutes from time substitute Silvestre Varela found space at the far post – only Manuel Neuer's quick interventions kept it 1-0. Caution had been the watchword in the early stages, with both teams content to sit back and invite the opposition to come forward and let their guards down. Not that it was all about soaking up the blows as one by one players had a jab, looking for a weakness. Fábio Coentrão almost found it when he drifted into a central position early on but, as he sought to punch the ball through to Hélder Postiga, Mats Hummels blocked well. If that meant swift involvement in the game for the centre-back, Germany's other surprise starter Gomez, preferred to birthday boy Miroslav Klose, would have to wait rather longer after an opportunist early header. It was Lukas Podolski, playing on the left, who posed the biggest threat as he drew on his attacking wiles to twice lose his marker even if his finishing belied a man with 43 goals in 99 international appearances. Germany were gaining the upper hand, but on the cusp of half-time Portugal almost conjured up an almighty sucker punch. Cristiano Ronaldo's corner from the left looked innocuous enough but the half-clearance fell straight to Pepe. The defender cushioned the ball beautifully, set himself and fired in a shot that hit the crossbar, bounced on the line and away to safety. The half-time whistle promptly blew and the players walked off to Madness's One Step Beyond – how Portugal wished Pepe's effort was. Germany had 15 minutes to dust themselves off and they came out for the second round all guns blazing. It took desperate last-ditch blocks from Coentrão and Raul Meireles to deny them inside the first minute, but the game soon reverted to fractious type. Neither midfield was able to really take the initiative, and though Khedira perhaps had most success, his slack pass almost cost Germany. The ball was quickly fed to João Moutinho and he delivered a sumptuous ball into the path of Ronaldo. The Portugal skipper shaped to shoot but, from nowhere, the excellent Jérôme Boateng slid in with the timeliest of interventions. Ten minutes later Gomez turned near despair into triumph and Germany will go into Wednesday's meeting with the Netherlands with a quarter-final place almost in sight. Portugal have it all to do on their return here to face Denmark.

[freelance_cricketer]

Star of the day

[justarslan]

Nervy start of tournament from Germany but 3 point are in the bag. Hopefully, Germany will improve as the tournament progresses.

[pakcricketfan]

Germany FTW!

My favourite team - hasn't won any tournament ever since I started supporting them though.

[James]

Ozil is very strange-looking.

[Amir]

Gomez finally learns how to score in a big match! congrats to him.

[Chicharito14Hernandez]

I'm backing Germany to win this. Sneijder played some beautiful passes that game, his vision is insane.

[w8in_4_0402]

great game. had to win and get to off to a good start. it must have relieved a lot of stress, Gomez inclusion surprised everyone and backfired most of the game, but like all good strikers when needed he was there.

Hummels played amazing!! Him and Badstuber played great together. Boateng's last ditch tackle will also stay in memory for time to come. the way he got down to CR7 was unbelieveable. Great Drama and Passion in the game.

Hope to see Holland play aggresive attacking football where germany can us the open room. Holland defence will have to step to be able to tackle german attack force.

[freelance_cricketer]

Originally Posted by justarslan Nervy start of tournament from Germany but 3 point are in the bag. Hopefully, Germany will improve as the tournament progresses.

Yea they are certainly better than that. Looked bit rusty. They must raise their game if they want to leave everyone behind.

[freelance_cricketer]

Originally Posted by James Ozil is very strange-looking.

[freelance_cricketer]

Close enough?

[Sidcricfan]

Deutsch gonna win this tourney!

[James]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer Close enough?

Unfortunately yes! Ha!

[freelance_cricketer]

You never know, may be Gollum indeed existed and Ozil belongs to his bloodline. The resemblance is mind blowing.

[DHONI183]

I am so late on this!

Satisfied to have won over Portugal. Feel for Christiano Ronaldo as he is of my most favourite players.

Anyway, Go Deutschland go!!!

[freelance_cricketer]

Welcome bai ji


Ronaldo tried his best, always tough to carry the whole team in big tourneys unless it is club level. FIFA, Euro are the real thing.

[freelance_cricketer]

Next target - Netherland

[DHONI183]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer Welcome bai ji Ronaldo tried his best, always tough to carry the whole team in big tourneys unless it is club level. FIFA, Euro are the real thing.

Are trying to start the IPL debate even here!

[freelance_cricketer]

Tamasha soccer

[freelance_cricketer]

Klose is the , Ronaldo is Chris Gayle

[justarslan]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer Bastian Schweinsteiger is the , Ronaldo is Mark Ramprakash

Fixed.

[freelance_cricketer]

LOL both great examples.

[freelance_cricketer]

Time to leave Netherlands in a trauma.

[ecstatic_freak]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer Welcome bai ji Ronaldo tried his best, always tough to carry the whole team in big tourneys unless it is club level. FIFA, Euro are the real thing.

Actually the kingmakers dont play for Portugal, one plays for Germany and the other plays for Argentina, so ? not that hard to predict the outcome in this case is it

[ecstatic_freak]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer Time to leave Netherlands in a trauma.

This group be more fun if Portugal and Holland win their games today.

[DHONI183]

Originally Posted by ecstatic_freak This group be more fun if Portugal and Holland win their games today.

I am supporting Portugal but the Netherlands, no way.

Well, Germans have some sort of anti-Holland element in soccer but I kind of like them except when they play Germany.

[freelance_cricketer]

[freelance_cricketer]

99th cap for Lukas Podolski

[freelance_cricketer]

13 June

[freelance_cricketer]

Mario Gomez !

Mario Gomez !

Mario Gomez !

[freelance_cricketer]

Triumph against The Fighting Dutch

[Amjid Javed]

Germany were impressive once again, however the two CBs looked very suspect as expected against pace. However, can anyone expose that?

[DHONI183]

This Mario Gomez factor is making me a little uneasy.

[freelance_cricketer]

Originally Posted by Amjid Javed Germany were impressive once again, however the two CBs looked very suspect as expected against pace. However, can anyone expose that?

The defense has looked just decent, not great. Neuer has already saved a couple of goals, hope he keeps saving Germans.

[freelance_cricketer]

Originally Posted by DHONI183 This Mario Gomez factor is making me a little uneasy.

Why?

[freelance_cricketer]

[s28]

Not sure what the German defence have to do ?

They have faced in recent days Ronaldo and van Persie and kept them reasonably quiet

[freelance_cricketer]

They had their opportunities.

[DHONI183]

Originally Posted by freelance_cricketer Why?

I mean, what if he misses out due to something? Others need to lift their game too. Lucas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger are examples.

[freelance_cricketer]

That's true. Muller and Ozil missed a few chances. Gotta lift the game and score the goals. Can't be dependent on Gomez alone.

[PakPrince]

Masud Ozil is on a another level!
love the guy!

[freelance_cricketer]

Incredible guy really. Love his attitude and game. Free flowing bird.

[freelance_cricketer]

Delighted fans during Netherlands match

[freelance_cricketer]

[w8in_4_0402]

Originally Posted by DHONI183 I mean, what if he misses out due to something? Others need to lift their game too. Lucas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger are examples.

I agree Podoslki hasnt been inbest form. But his experience and past record promises that he will come to perform.

I feel schweinsteiger was outstanding!! Khedira, Schweinsteiger and Ozil is are the best midfield there is atm on level with spain.

[freelance_cricketer]

Predict scoreline for next match.

I say 3-1 to Germany

[DHONI183]

Originally Posted by w8in_4_0402 I agree Podoslki hasnt been inbest form. But his experience and past record promises that he will come to perform. I feel schweinsteiger was outstanding!! Khedira, Schweinsteiger and Ozil is are the best midfield there is atm on level with spain.

I am basically disappointed because of being a fan of Lukas Podolski from 2006.

[Geordie Ahmed]

The best image of the tournament so far

[freelance_cricketer]

Good one