Group D
Manager: Joachim Low
Star Player : Ballack, Lahm, Klose, Pudolski
June 13, 2010 @ 18:30GMT Group Stage Group D
Germany vs Australia
at Moses Mabhida Stadium
June 18, 2010 @ 11:30GMT Group Stage Group D
Germany vs Serbia
at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
June 23, 2010 @ 18:30GMT Group Stage Group D
Ghana vs Germany
at Soccer City Stadium
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Number of Previous World Cup Appearances: 16
Best result: Champions (1954, 1974, 1990)
All-time record: 92 games played, 55 wins, 19 draws, 18 losses
Goals for: 190, Goals against: 112
Biggest victory: 8-0 vs. Saudi Arabia in 2002
Biggest defeat: 8-3 vs. Hungary in 1954
Top scorer: Gerd Muller (14 goals)
Most appearances: Lothar Matthaus (25 matches)
Hosted the World Cup: 1974, 2006
Short History: FIFA member since: 1904
Team nickname: Die Nationalelf, Nationalmannschaft
All-time caps leader: Lothar Matthaus (150)
All-time leading scorer: Gerd Muller (68 goals)
Notable achievements: European Champions (1972, 1980, 1996)
Legendary Player: Nicknamed "The Kaiser," Franz Beckenbauer earned 103 caps and captained West Germany to the 1974 World Cup on home soil. Beckenbauer revolutionized the position of the attacking sweeper (known as the libero) and is considered one of soccer's greatest players of all time.
- Jorg Butt Goalkeeper 1.91m 91 kg May 28, 1974
- Manuel Neuer Goalkeeper 1.90m 80 kg March 27, 1986
- Tim Wiese Goalkeeper 1.93m 91 kg December 17, 1981
- Dennis Aogo Defender 1.83m 82 kg January 14, 1987
- Holger Badstuber Defender 1.89m 78 kg March 13, 1989
- Andreas Beck Defender 1.80m 75 kg March 13, 1987
- Jerome Boateng Defender 1.90m 79 kg September 3, 1988
- Arne Friedrich Defender 1.85m 78 kg May 29, 1979
- Marcell Jansen Defender 1.91m 72 kg November 4, 1985
- Philipp Lahm Defender 1.70m 64 kg November 11, 1983
- Per Mertesacker Defender 1.96m 85 kg September 29, 1984
- Serdar Tasci Defender 1.86m 75 kg April 24, 1987
- Heiko Westermann Defender 1.90m 80 kg August 14, 1983
- Sami Khedira Midfielder 1.89m 81 kg April 4, 1987
- Toni Kroos Midfielder 1.80m 68 kg January 4, 1990
- Marko Marin Midfielder 1.68m 60 kg March 13, 1989
- Mesut Özil Midfielder 1.80m 70 kg October 15, 1988
- Bastian Schweinsteiger Midfielder 1.81m 77 kg August 1, 1984
- Piotr Trochowski Midfielder 1.68m 68 kg March 22, 1984
- Cacau Forward 1.79m 74 kg March 27, 1981
- Mario Gomez Forward 1.89m 86 kg July 10, 1985
- Stefan Kießling Forward 1.91m 78 kg January 25, 1984
- Miroslav Klose Forward 1.82m 74 kg June 9, 1978
- Thomas Müller Forward 1.86m 74 kg September 13, 1989
- Lukas Podolski Forward 1.80m 81 kg June 4, 1985
Appearances at finals:
(As East Germany)
1974 - Second round
(As West Germany)
1954 - Winners
1958 - Fourth place
1962 - Quarter-finals
1966 - Runners-up
1970 - Third place
1974 - Winners
1978 - Second round
1982 - Runners-up
1986 - Runners-up
1990 - Winners
(As Germany)
1934 - Third place
1938 - First round
1994 - Quarter-finals
1998 - Quarter-finals
2002 - Runners-up
2006 - Third place
Overall record at finals: Played 58, Won 37, Drawn 9, Lost 12.
Best performance: Winning the tournament in 1954, 1974 and 1990.
Most appearances at finals: Lothar Matthäus (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) - 25.
Most goals at finals: Gerd Müller (1970, 1974) - 14.
World Cup high: Winning the World Cup on home turf in 1974 with a 2-1 win in the final to beat Johan Cruyff's Netherlands, who were famed for their 'total football' and widely acknowledged as one of the greatest sides in history.
World Cup low: Losing in the 1966 final to England after a contentious goal from Geoff Hurst that may or may not have crossed the line at Wembley, depending on your geographical location. It was the opinion of Azerbaijani linesman Tofik Bakhramov that counted, though.
World Cup legend: Franz Beckenbauer was perhaps the finest sweeper in football history. Der Kaiser captained Germany to glory in 1974, managed the team that won the 1990 tournament and, for good measure, helped bring the World Cup to German soil as the key figure in the 2006 bid team.
The story so far: 'Never write off the Germans' is the old refrain - and with good reason. Reaching seven finals in their history, five times as West Germany before the reunification of the country, the Germans have reached the quarter-finals in every tournament since 1982 and are the very model of consistency.
Their first triumph came in the 1954 World Cup in Sweden courtesy of a shock victory over the 'Magical Magyars' of Hungary, despite going 2-0 down to the team of Ferenc Puskas. The odds were upset once again in 1974 when Johan Cruyff's Netherlands went a goal up in the final only to lose 2-1 as West Germany triumphed on home turf. A hat-trick of titles was complete when Andreas Brehme struck with five minutes remaining to defeat Argentina in the final of Italia 90 and confirm Germany as a nation with outstanding World Cup pedigree.
Qualification: Germany enjoyed an unbeaten qualifying campaign under Joachim Loew as they held off the challenge of Guus Hiddink's Russia to secure top spot in Group Four. After starting their campaign in ominous fashion with a 6-0 hammering of Liechtenstein, the key to Germany's qualification was their two victories over Russia, the second of which was a 1-0 win in Moscow in October that guaranteed their participation in the finals in South Africa.
Qualifying record: P10, W8, D2, L0, F26, A5, Pts26.
Most appearances: Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez (10).
Top goalscorer: Miroslav Klose (7).
Team Profile Germany :
Three-time FIFA World Cup™ winners Germany are usually there or thereabouts when the honours are handed out, and the current national squad will head for South Africa with their sights and expectations set appropriately high. After triumphing in Switzerland in 1954, on home soil in 1974 and in Italy in 1990, the team now coached by Joachim Low are aiming to hoist the most prestigious trophy in the world's favourite sport for the fourth time.The Germans' consistent success is based on deep reserves of experience, finely-honed tactical know-how, and the ability to rise to the occasion when the chips are down. Their qualifying campaign merely served to emphasise the enduring nature of those attributes. Michael Ballack will be utterly determined to lead his country to a major international title after the runners-up spot at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, third on home soil in 2006, and another second place at UEFA EURO 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.
That would not merely be the crowning glory of the Germany captain's already illustrious career, it would elevate him to membership of an elite group of FIFA World Cup-winning captains, legendary trio Fritz Walter, Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthaus. Apart from Ballack, German hopes rest largely on striker Miroslav Klose, a goal-getter with the uncanny ability to hit peak form bang on time for the FIFA World Cup, and former talented youngsters turned senior pros Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski.
Clinical efficiency and unbending resolve rather than sparkling skill were the hallmarks as Low's men marched to first place in European qualifying Group 4 for the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. The Germans dropped points only in their home and away meetings with an awkward Finnish side. Klose's hat-trick dragged his side level three times in a 3-3 draw in Helsinki, and Podolski netted a face-saving last-minute equaliser in a 1-1 stalemate in Hamburg. However, that was the final qualifying fixture, and Ballack and company were already guaranteed top spot, as Wales, Azerbaijan and Liechtenstein had all been despatched with the minimum of fuss.
By contrast, in the two meetings with closest rivals Russia, Germany showed all the class that has made them such formidable opponents down the years. In Dortmund, Low's men produced their best attacking half of football since their rousing displays at the 2006 FIFA World Cup and held on to win 2-1. In the crunch return in Moscow on the penultimate matchday, it was almost inevitably Klose who netted the only goal of the game to seal the Russians' first-ever home defeat in FIFA World Cup qualifying. Renowned Sbornaja boss Guus Hiddink mused afterwards on Germany's "utter determination" and named Low's side as contenders in South Africa.
The star players
Chelsea midfielder Ballack rates as the undisputed leader of the team. The 33-year-old national captain has earned 97 senior caps to date and is determined to lead his men to a major trophy after falling at the final hurdle at the FIFA World Cup in 2002 and the EURO in 2008. In all probability, the showdown in South Africa will be Ballack's last chance on a major stage.
Despite his unassuming public persona, Bayern Munich striker Klose comes next in the dressing room hierarchy. His record of 48 goals in 93 internationals puts him third in the Germany all-time scoring chart, behind only living legend Gerd Muller (68 goals) and former GDR goal-getter Joachim Streich (55). Events in South Africa will show whether fellow Bayern men Lahm and Schweinsteiger, and Podolski, who returned home to Cologne from Munich in summer 2009, have what it takes to acquire world-class billing. Diminutive but exceptionally versatile full-back Lahm looks the best bet of the three.
The coach
Joachim Low, Jurgen Klinsmann's assistant at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, long ago emerged from the shadow thrown by the former world-class striker. On stepping up to the top job on 12 July 2006, the 49-year-old named winning EURO 2008 and continuing Klinsmann's attacking philosophy as his primary goals. Neither target has been fully hit, but the SC Freiburg all-time leading scorer has earned huge respect for his calm, knowledgeable and sympathetic manner of dealing with stars, press and public alike. "Meticulous and painstaking hard work is the only way to succeed," he has said, true to his reputation as a skilled tactician and all-round sage of the game, and neatly summing up the soul of German football into the bargain.
Previous FIFA World Cups
- Germany have won the FIFA World Cup three times (1954, 1974 and 1990), a figure bettered only by Brazil (5) and Italy (4).
- Apart from the 1930 and 1950 tournaments, which they did not enter, Germany have contested every FIFA World Cup finals.
Records
- Germany have reached the FIFA World Cup Final seven times, a record they share with Brazil.
- Germany have contested four penalty shoot-outs at the FIFA World Cup finals, winning all of them.
"We've been very successful in the past, and that's an inspiration to the next generations. You only have to look at Germany's record at major tournaments. We won the World Cup in 1954, '74 and '90, and the European Championship in '72, '80 and '96. We've made it through to finals at least as often. We've grown up with the conviction that Germany are always good enough to reach the Final. We're definitely among a group of countries with a chance of taking the Trophy. We were third at the World Cup and second at the EURO, so our goal for 2010 is to make the Final and win the Trophy." Philipp Lahm, interviewed exclusively by FIFA.com
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