FIFA WORLD CUP 2010: England vs. Germany: Can Capello’s men beat Germany?
When these two power houses meet each other in the round of 16, an exciting and physical match can be expected. With 27 World Cup matches held between Germany and England, dating to perhaps the first ever World Cup, England holds a slight advantage over Germany, by winning 12. On the contrary, Germany has won 10 matches along with 5 stalemates between the two teams.
South Africa 2010 was perhaps the most unpredictable tournaments in football history. With the 2006 finalists France already knocked out in the first round, anything can be expected. England impressed in their qualifying campaign, showing an improved team chemistry and greater passing ability. They won 9 out their 10 qualifying matches by booking their ticket to South Africa. A lot was expected from England as always, with players such as Wayne Rooney, Michael Gerrard and Frank Lampard all enjoying top form. England had USA, Algeria and Slovenia in their Group and were the obvious favourites to win it. The fans, the British press and the Football Association of England were happy with Coach Fabio Capello who received an extension in his contract till Euro 2012.
England managed an early goal, thanks to Captain Steven Gerrard, in their opening match against USA. They were on their way to perhaps their first victory when Robert Green couldn’t stop a simple long range shot, which saw the ball slip from his gloves and into the goal. Neither team could score after that horrible miss by Green. England never looked like the team it was in the qualifying campaign. Apart from Gerrard, almost every player failed to impress. Capello, as expected, was brought under heavy criticism from the fans and the media. Players claimed that they’ll come back stronger in their next match against Algeria.
England, however, failed miserably in their next match. The English never looked to win this game, with most of their passes easily intercepted and couldn’t make many opportunities. Perhaps, Rooney was the biggest disappointment. He looked like a shadow of himself during the group stages of South Africa 2010. After scoring 34 goals for Manchester United in this season, no one would have expected such a performance. It was a frustrating day for the English who could only manage a 0-0 draw against the Algerians. Heading into their final match against the then group leader Slovenia, England was left with only one option and that was to win. They started the game confidently. Pin point passing, impressive through balls and goal scoring long balls dominated the game. Finally, it was Defoe who scored the only goal of the match. England should have won the match with a bigger lead. However, British forwards were unable to rise to the occasion. The win against Slovenia meant that they will meet the Germans in the knock-out stage.
Germans on the other hand, had a flying start to their campaign, thrashing Australia 4-0 and making an instant impact in this low scoring World Cup. They were all set to win their next match against Serbia, when star-striker Klose earned two early red cards. This gave Serbia an advantage to remember. They capitalized on it with impunity and defeated the Germans with a score of 1-0. Germany regained their grace and glory by defeating Ghana in the next match with a score of 1-0 to top the group. This meant that they would meet Group C runners up England in the knock-out round.
A tough match is on the cards when England and Germany face-off in the knock-out stage. Any team can win this and nothing can be predicted. The Round of 16 is a knock out round, which means that one team will have to leave South Africa. Capello is vary of the German threat and is busy training the English for almost every tactic that he knows. It may be a low scoring bout with both teams going in with a defensive strategy. A penalty shoot-out is on the cards as well if the gruelling encounter does not produce a result in regular time. Capello is aware of this and England has been practicing the penalties on a regular basis. He may have found the correct mix and formation after his team’s impressive performance against Slovenia, but he is not impressed. Capello still wants his players to play with their full potential.
Germany’s coach has also made it clear that his side may respect the English, but doesn’t fear them. He insisted that his team would need to improve defensively, and agrees that English players have the quality and skill to perhaps even lift the trophy. Joachim Loew, the German coach, currently has a young and perhaps inexperienced side to play in such a big tournament. However, he was not bothered with that. “We live in 2010 and in a united Europe, therefore, such comparisons are completely inappropriate”, claimed the 50-year-old. He sees the defensive rock Terry and veteran midfielders Lampard and Gerrard as the main stay in the English team, and by only containing these three, he added, can the Germans overcome the English.
It is one of the most anticipated matches in the 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup. Fans from all over the world would be glued to their TV screens, when both these football giants meet at the grandest stage of them all.
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