Ze Germans – if we are going to follow the social protocol when referring to the German National Football team – are an efficient bunch. Efficient, reliable, professional, well organised and proficient, just a few of the words typically used when describing them. Yesterday however a superb performance against an admittedly lacklustre Australia showed what else they are capable of. Four goals without reply, four excellent goals that frankly could have been even more highlighted the real class underlying the Germans.
It’s taken 3 days and a few pretty awful games (I am looking at you France and Algeria) but the first game that’s made anyone sit up and notice that there really is a World Cup going on and not a few casual friendlies. Germany to put it quite simply, tore Australia apart. Klose and Podolski putting poor domestic seasons behind them and continuing to prove at the biggest stage of them all, there are few better. Klose has now scored at 3 successive World Cups and one suspects he’ll probably grab one or two more before the tournament is out, currently 49 goals to 97 caps at international level. Podolski similarly maintaining his ridiculous goal scoring record for the national side; 39 from 74.
The Star of the show
Yesterday however saw another stand out in the side above all others; Mesut Özil. The half Turkish playmaker currently at Werder Bremen is probably not on many peoples radars but has had an outstanding season in the Bundesliga. Yesterday was his announcement on the biggest stage of them all. Profiting indirectly from Ballack’s injury he has seen his stock rise in Germany and playing directly behind Klose was at the heart of pretty much everything good about Germany yesterday. He’s a tricky player, excellent with the ball at his feet, fantastic off the ball and was the instigator or some of the best passing moves at the World Cup so far. Countless times yesterday Özil was making passes that Xavi would be proud of and driving Germany forward with some energetic runs both on and off the ball. Involved in the build up to pretty much every chance Germany had yesterday he ran the show and it was without a doubt the best individual performance so far at the World Cup. In fact if he can work on his first touch (which let him down a couple of times, particularly when through on goal) he could be in with a shout of the Golden Ball.
Winners?
Now it would be too early to state that a performance like that will win them the tournament, in fact that would be blindly idiotic. However odds shrunk from 14/1 to 9/1 immediately after the match, although I suspect that the gambling public had no idea that Germany were actually quite good until yesterday. It’s odd to think that they weren’t one of the favourites going into the tournament with an outstanding team on paper and the well publicised (and fairly accurate) knowledge that they will almost always do well regardless of how good they really are. But anyway one game against a pretty dreadful Australia that saw them run riot is enough to convince those that have bet against them – apparently. This German side, can however win it, they really are that good.
Efficiency is one thing, but it is another to do it with style and verve. But that is exactly what happened yesterday. Sublime passes, fantastic runs and clinical finishing all present as was the flair befitting of a South American side. Every one of the players featuring yesterday for Germany was happy on the ball and always wanted to drive forward, none more so than the ever present Lahm, who was ahead of Thomas Mueller on the right an alahming (hey, if the pundits are allowed to make stupid puns and get paid for it, I should be allowed to as well) number of times, such was the captains desire to get involved in the attacks which became so frequent. The importance of the attacking full back highlighted by him in this match absolutely running Chipperfield ragged. To be fair, there are no glaring weaknesses in the German side and it will be captivating to see how they cope against the most organised African nation at the World Cup; Ghana.
Right now I’m off to go and practice making questionable comments about Germany, therefore allowing me to really enjoy this fantastic German side without getting abuse in pubs.
The Vuvuzela View 