| FOOTBALL CAREER OF JURGEN KLINSMANN |
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NEWS of KLINSMANN: JUN 2006
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Note: If you cannot see the photos in this page, this is most likely due to the exceedance of the hourly bandwidth limitation of geocities.com. But you can still read all the text.
If you are interested to have a look at the photos, please return to this page an hour later or go to Klinsmann's Photo Album.
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30 June 2006
Match Report: Germany vs Argentina 1-1 (normal time) / 1-1 (extra time) / 4-2 (penalty shoot-out)
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This was the toughest and most physical-demanding match for Germany so far in the tournament. Argentina had the chance to win within 90 minutes but Germany were able to pull one back to secure a draw in normal time and to win in the penalty shoot-out.
Germany tried to play quick attacking football in the beginning of the match but due to the tough and quality defence of Argentina, Germany failed to take control in the midfield and could not create chances.
Therefore, Germany only had a few shots and one real chance in the first half (in the past matches, Germany usually had about 10 shots in the first half). At the 16th minute, Ballack fired a powerful header wide of the right-hand post from 16 yards after timing his run to perfection to meet a beautifully-weighted cross from Schneider.
On the other hand, Argentina also had few chances in the first half but they managed to score in their very first real chance early in the second half. In the 49th minute, Riquelme swung in a corner from the right and Ayala got in front of Klose and headed the ball into the net.
In the 64th minute, Ballack had a chance to pull on back from the corner but his shot to the open goal was blocked by Argentina's defender.
In the 73th minute, Argentina came close to doubling their advantage when Lahm's misplaced pass was intercepted by Tevez. After the diminutive forward dribbled past the German defence, he slid the ball to Maxi Rodriguez, who fired the ball into the side-netting.
With just 10 minutes to go, Germany finally equalized. Ballack crossed the ball from the left into the box to Borowski (a substitute of Schweinsteiger at 74') who headed the ball to the far post side where Klose was positioned and headed the equalizer.
Just before the end of normal time, Argentina had caused two more troubles in Germany's penalty box but Tevez was ruled offside and Maxi Rodriguez was ruled diving inside the box.
So the game went to extra time. But both teams seemed too tired to score. Ballack was even seen to have received treatment one to two times in order to alleviate the pain and cramp in his legs. The only threathening event in extra time was Coloccini's unintended long lob pass hitting the crossbar at the 115th minute. The game then ended 1-1 after extra time and had to be decided by penalty shoot-out.
There was a touching moment before the shoot-out, when Kahn came to Lehmann to give him some words of encouragement (after Lehmann had saved the shoot by Cambiasso, he immediately found Kahn and hugged each other). Klinsmann also saw this touching moment and later told reporter that "I saw that and I can tell you it wasn't a surprise to me ... Oliver [Kahn] contributes so much to this team. We all root for each other."
In penalty shoot-out, the goalkeeper is usually the one to shine and Lehmann was the star this time. Lehmann guessed the correct side for all the four Argentina's penalty shots and saved two of them by Ayala (the 2nd shot) and Cambiasso (the 4th shot). Together with the four fine penalty shots from Neuville, Ballack, Podolski and Borowski, Germany won the penalty shoot-out by 4-2.
After the match, Ballack was selected as the Man of the Match. He was involved in Germany's eqalizer and he was also tireless running up and down to help the defence. He finally scored the 2nd penalty in the penalty shoot-out under tremedous pressure.
Klinsmann was delighted with the win as he told reporters after the match: "It's difficult to find words. I'm incredibly happy, proud and thankful ... The fantastic crowd carried us, they believed in us. We knew that even down a goal we'd come back. We were convinced that if we got to penalties we'd advance ... The belief we have in ourselves is really strong. This is a team that's grown together over the past six weeks and we want to be world champions."
Klinsmann also described this match as "a Hitchcock movie" and commented: "It was very exciting for us on the bench." This was the first penalty shoot-out in Klinsmann's coaching career.
As to his team's performance, Klinsmann agreed that his team could not play their own rhythm at the beginning of the match, but he felt his team deserved the victory. He commented after the match:
"We're incredibly proud of this team and of what they're doing at the moment. The whole game was on a knife-edge, but we had the better of the chances and were more efficient in front of goal, so overall we deserved to win. We are obviously very happy and are enjoying the moment, but we're looking ahead and we want to go even further. We're here to make progress. We know that we've got two games left, and we want to win both of them."
"Today was a match-up between the two best teams in the tournament so far. Argentina showed us a lot of respect, which was apparent in the fact that they left Javier Saviola and Esteban Cambiasso on the bench.
We took a while to settle to begin with and couldn't get into the rhythm we had in other matches, but I said to the team at half-time that it was only to be expected and that it wasn't a problem. I told them that they should just remain patient. Roberto Ayala's header for their goal was a beauty, but I was never worried about the fact that we were behind."
"For the penalties, I had every confidence in all of the players taking them, and obviously in Jens Lehmann. What a great keeper. He's the one who got us into the semi-final today."
He further added: "The players are performing magnificently and they want to discover just what their limit is. Maybe we'll reach it on the day of the final on July 9."
"We're enjoying the moment ... Now we want more."
Germany will face Italy (who defeated Ukraine today by a 3-0 fine display) in the semi-final. Frings, Friedrich, Podolski and Odonkor have to be more careful in the coming match because they will be suspended in the final if they get one more yellow card in the coming match.
Episode after the match
At the end of the penalty shoot-out, there was a violent episode between both sides.
According to Reuters, the trouble appeared to start when Borowski gestured towards the Argentina players to "keep quiet" having scored his penalty to make it 4-2 in Germany's favour.
Several of the South American players walked towards him and when Esteban Cambiasso's final Argentina spot-kick was saved by German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, the Argentina defender Coloccini approached Neuville.
According to Borowski, Argentinian players had made "certain movements" to try to provoke him before he took his penalty as he told reporters: "I don't want to go into details but the movements were there and the Argentinians can't exactly declare themselves innocent ... They're not exactly saints."
TV broadcast also showed that Bierhoff, German team manager, was caught in the middle of the players after the penalty shoot-out.
Bierhoff said he had intervened after an Argentina substitute trod on German defender Per Mertesacker as he told reporters: "Per was pretty angry about what was a very unsporting thing to do and the players started going at each other. I saw that and wanted to put myself between them so the players didn't do anything stupid." According to the FIFA official match report, Argentina's Leandro Cufre, an unused substitute, got a red card at the 120th minute after the penalty shootout.
Klinsmann and his Argentine counterpart Jose Pekerman played down the incident. Klinsmann commented: "I'd like to remind people that in football there is so much tension, so many emotions and if it goes all the way to penalties someone can lose control ... Football is just so emotional. It's just normal. It's no big deal, no problem at all." However, FIFA will examine video footage of the incident and both teams could be liable for heavy fines or other sanctions.
PS: Frings was later (on 3 July 2006) found to have played an active role in the incident by punching Argentina's Julio Cruz and was therefore given a two-match suspension with the second match suspension on probation.
(Source: Reuters, FIFAworldcup.com)
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Germany lost their first goal at 49'
Lehmann saved 2 penalty shots
Klinsmann was excited for the victory
Klinsmann (in the middle) was trying to calm both teams down after the penalty shoot-out
| Statistics |
| Team |
Ger |
Arg |
| Score |
1 |
1 |
| Shots (on target) |
10(5) |
12(5) |
| Possession |
42% |
58% |
| Free Kicks |
3 |
1 |
| Corner Kicks |
4 |
6 |
| Offsides |
3 |
3 |
| Fouls |
23 |
32 |
| Yellow Cards |
3 |
4 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
1 |
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29 June 2006
Match preview: Germany vs Argentina
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Germany will play against Argentina on Friday at 17:00 (CET) at Berlin's Olympiastadion.
Klinsmann indicated in a news conference today that Germany would continue to play attacking football against Argentina.
He said: "I have great respect for Pekerman and his school of football. They've played together many years and honed their style ... But we won't alter our plan to counter Argentina's style of play. It must be the other way round ... We're one of the favourites again now and that in itself is an honour for me ... We will continue playing fast football with an accent on attack and show 100 percent commitment."
Although Ballack and Klose missed training on Tuesday, they were fit to play in next match. So, there was no injury or suspension in the German squad.
(Source: Reuters)
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29 June 2006
More about Klinsmann's personality
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Below is the extract from an article written by NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer. The writer talked about the personality of Klinsmann:
Juergen Klinsmann has always done things a little differently.
While his teammates at Inter Milan, Tottenham Hotspur and Monaco drove Porsches and BMWs, Klinsmann tooled around in a blue '67 Volkswagen Beetle with a Snoopy sticker on the dashboard. Instead of living in Germany, where he's as celebrated as Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods in the United States, he settled in California, where his wife grew up. And when he got the itch to play some pick-up games a few years back, he hooked up with a developmental league team in southern California.
So it should have come as no surprise that when he was hired two years ago to coach Germany, Klinsmann wasn't going to do things the old way.
"He's a forward thinker," said friend and U.S. coach Bruce Arena. "He thinks differently than other people, and he's a modern thinker. He's not willing to accept what's been done in the past. That's certainly caught the Germans by surprise because, in a lot of ways, they're traditionalists. He had a new way of thinking."
[Klinsmann] could have had riches and fame to last a lifetime, but material things have never really mattered to Klinsmann. He didn't even have an agent when he played, negotiating his own contracts.
"It's just not important to him," said Mark Verstegen, a friend and founder of Athletes Performance, the training group that works with the German team. "I don't think I've ever seen him wear a fancy watch. He's just Juergen."
When he retired in 1998, Klinsmann left all the trappings behind. He and American wife Debbie decided to raise their two children in the United States. In Germany -- or anywhere in Europe, for that matter -- Klinsmann would be news whatever he did.
And if his son, Jonathan, happened to take up his father's game, photographers and reporters would be sure to follow, even if it was just a kids' league.
In sun-kissed Orange County, though, the 41-year-old Klinsmann is just another good-looking blond. On a rare occasion he's recognized, but for the most part he basks in anonymity.
"I didn't want to live in the past," Klinsmann told USA Today last December. "I wanted to start the second chapter in my life."
Starting a new chapter didn't mean forgetting everything he'd already written. He became a partner in a soccer marketing and business development group, got involved with the U.S. team, consulted with the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS and appeared at U.S. Soccer Federation youth clinics.
But when Klinsmann accepted the Germany job, many of his friends were surprised.
"I was because I think Juergen was not yet set on whether he wanted to have involvement in soccer on the technical side. He had interest on the management side," Arena said.
Still, it was a dream to restore Germany's program. It had won three World Cups and was surprise runner-up to Brazil in 2002 but was struggling in 2004, losing in the first round of the European Championship -- failing to win a game. Two coaches rejected the job. When Klinsmann took it, he promised a shake-up.
Little did anyone realize how serious he was.
He hired Verstegen's group, who introduced the Germans to distinctly American equipment like elastic cords for stretching. He brought in sports psychologists. He overhauled the team's practices and ditched Germany's slow, predictable pace for a high-octane attack. He chose longtime backup goalkeeper Jens Lehmann over Oliver Kahn and gave Kahn's captaincy to Michael Ballack.
"I said, 'Are you sure this is something that you really want to do?"' Verstegen said. "And you know Juergen. He said 'Absolutely.' I said, 'You know what you're getting yourself into?' And he said, 'Yep, we all know."'
Said Klinsmann: "I knew if I put the right staff together and got the right mixture that we could develop something special. It's a new approach, and we believe in that approach."
Perhaps most galling to Germans was his insistence on living in California. He hired Oliver Bierhoff to handle logistics and day-to-day business while assistant coach Joachim Loew worked with players. Klinsmann commuted to Germany several times a month and stayed in contact with his players via e-mail, telephone and video conferencing.
The critics stayed silent when Klinsmann's team got off to an impressive start, finishing third in last summer's Confederations Cup after a 3-2 loss to Brazil in the semifinals.
But when Germany lost to Slovakia and Turkey and was routed 4-1 by Italy, the critics unleashed their fury. Franz Beckenbauer, the most influential figure in German soccer, knocked him publicly.
Things got so ugly that German chancellor Angela Merkel stepped in.
"He hurt a lot of people, he stepped on a lot of toes," Beckenbauer said Thursday. "But if you have new people taking over a job, you will have to accept that some changes are being made."
Regardless of how loudly people howled, Klinsmann refused to budge on his beliefs. Germany's team needed to change, and as long as he was coach, it would.
Now it's hard to see how anyone doubted him. Germany breezed through its qualifying group. It leads the tournament with 10 goals, along with Argentina and Brazil, and it needed only 12 minutes to score twice against Sweden in the second round. It has allowed only two goals, none in the last three games.
Germany plays Argentina on Friday in a game many are comparing to a final.
"What people are seeing here with the team, the things that they comment on, is a direct reflection of" Klinsmann, Verstegen said. "We embody what he stands for, and it's not easy because it's different. He has an optimistic outlook on everything that he does.
"He's a great role model for the German people," Verstegen added. "He's a great role model for everyone."
(Source: BERLIN (AP), by NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer, 29 June 2006,
title: "Doing things the Klinsmann way carries Germany to quarterfinals",
available at http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-wcup-cornerkicks&prov=ap&type=lgns)
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29 June 2006
Klinsmann's thought about the game against Argentina
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Klinsmann claimed Germany's tournament performances have proven that they are finally "able to keep up with the big nations again" and he was confident on the coming game against Argentina as he explained:
"Our self-confidence is based on six weeks of hard work and we feel we are ready to beat a team like Argentina. We have the utmost respect for them but we know what we are capable of doing."
(Source: PA)
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28 June 2006
Germany FA president urges Klinsmann to continue coaching Germany
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In an interview with sport1.de., Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder (Germany FA president) expressed his wish for Klinsmann continuing to coach Germany. The FA president said: "It won't be easy to convince him, but the team could make his decision very easy if they beat Argentina."
(Source: soccernet.com)
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27 June 2006
Ballack, Klose and Kahn miss today's training
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Ballack, Klose and Kahn did not train with the rest of the German squad today (Tuesday). Hans Ulrich Voigt, a DFB spokesman, explained Ballack and Klose's absence was not due to any injury and they were doing "special individual training programmes", whereas Kahn got sick on the way to training and returned to the team hotel.
However, assistant coach Joachim Loew said that Ballack and Klose did not train with the rest of the team on Tuesday as a precaution because Ballack had a slightly swollen ankle and Klose had a slight tendinitis in his foot and that both of them would return to training on Wednesday (28 June 2006).
(Source: Reuters)
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26 June 2006
Klinsmann is not interested in coaching the US
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In a news conference in Berlin today, Klinsmann was asked about his interest in coaching the US team but Klinsmann replied: "That doesn't interest me at all ... At the moment, I'm only interested in my job and that has to continue to the final."
Klinsmann's two-year contract with Germany will expire after the 2006 World Cup.
(Source: Reuters)
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25 June 2006
All players are fit except Ballack
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Ballack missed today's training. Team manager Oliver Bierhoff explained: "Michael Ballack missed regeneration training this morning because he has a small problem with his foot ... It's now being examined and treated. But apart from that, we're happy to have all the players fit."
Ballack was selected as the Man of the Match in the last group match against Ecuador.
(Source: Reuters)
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25 June 2006
Kahn: Klinsmann owes me an explanation
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Just after the round of 16 win, Germany's 2002 World Cup hero Kahn told German magazine Der Spiegel he was not satisfied with Klinsmann's reason to put him on the bench.
Kahn said the only reason he had heard for why he was dropped was that Lehmann was playing a 'tick' better. He further explained:
"I'm sorry, but do you the replace the one who's been the number one for years when he's playing consistently because another keeper is supposed to be a 'tick' better? That's no justification for me ... I've been playing right at the top level for the past two years, I've done well in my Champions league games, won the German league and German Cup twice, and have immense tournament experience ... There was actually no reason to change the number one."
"Normally, I'd have expected a thorough explanation (from Klinsmann) ... But as there hasn't been one up until now, there probably won't be one."
(Source: Reuters)
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24 June 2006
Match Report: Germany vs Sweden 2-0
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Klinsmann started this game with the strongest lineup in the fittest form. Unexpectedly, Germany won this Round of 16 match within the first quarter.
Just like the World Cup opening match and last game, Germany scored early from the very first attempt on goal. In the 4th minutes, Klose received a short pass from Ballack near the edge of the penalty area and turned cleverly between two Sweden defenders inside the box. Sweden goalkeeper Isaksson rushed out, blocked Klose's ball but failed to catch it. The lose ball fell before Podolski who striked the ball into net.
At the 12th minute, Germany scored their second goal. The architect was Klose (the Man of the Match) again who dribbled near the edge of the box and calmly flicked the ball to free space for Podolski who striked his second goal.
In the rest of the match, Germany created a few more chances including Ballack and Schneider's long range effort (both were denied by the post) and Neuville's quick shot inside the box (blocked by Isaksson).
Sweden could only blame themselves for losing this match because their defence did not pressurize Germany in the midfield. The sending off of central defender Lucic at the 35th minute and Larsson's missed penalty at the 53th minute also contributed to Sweden's loss.
After the match, Klinsmann had the following comment:
"We're extremely satisfied and proud of each and every one of our players. Watching this Germany team was a true delight, especially in the first 30 minutes. I honestly can't remember the last time a Germany team played football like that.
We prepared very well for Sweden, and our tactics were perfect. We scored our goals early on and we kept on creating chances. Strangely enough, we suddenly weren't as good when Sweden had a man sent off. It took us a while to get used to the new situation."
"We held our breath when they were awarded the penalty, but after that we looked very comfortable as we saw the match through to the finish. We had no problem at all maintaining the pace of the game. We're getting better by the game, we're concentrating and we look focused. It's all working out for us �V we don't even have any injuries."
"It's working like clockwork, and we're already looking forward to the quarter-finals. That won't be our last match, we're only just getting hungry now. Miroslav Klose is the finished article these days, Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf has brought him up to international class. He's the perfect age, and he has far fewer injury problems than he did in the past."
Germany won today because they were the better side but there are still room for improvement especially right-back Friedrich (who had made several costly mistakes in this game) had proved himself again a loop-hole in the German defence.
Hope that Germany can maintain their form and will not make any mistake in the coming match because one mistake will be too many for an opponent like Argentina.
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com)
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Podolski (left) celebrated with Klose (right) after scoring his 2nd goal
Klinsmann was delighted by his team's performance
| Statistics |
| Team |
Ger |
Swe |
| Score |
2 |
0 |
| Shots (on target) |
26(11) |
5(2) |
| Possession |
63% |
37% |
| Free Kicks |
0 |
0 |
| Corner Kicks |
4 |
4 |
| Offsides |
3 |
2 |
| Fouls |
16 |
20 |
| Yellow Cards |
1 |
4 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
1 |
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23 June 2006
Match preview: Germany vs Sweden
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Germany will play against Sweden in Munich tomorrow at 17:00 (CET).
There is no injury or suspension in the German squad. Metzelder has now fully recovered from his knee injury and will return to the starting lineup as Klinsmann explained "Christoph [Metzelder] played fantastically in the first two games. We've said that he'll come back in even though Robert [Huth] had a good game [against Ecuador]."
Klinsmann was full of confidence in his team and he commented:
"Confidence is our strength ... I don't have any feeling that our younger players are nervous or thinking too much. If I had felt that were the case, we'd talk to them a bit more. They're all strong. We've got the power. We're confident."
"We're not afraid of anybody. We have faith in our ability and we'll show everybody that. But we respect our opponents. My team are keeping their feet on the ground ... We're absolutely convinced we'll win this game. We won't entertain any other thoughts."
"My players know full well that this is their tournament and their moment. These are great players who want to prove that they are world class."
"It will be a difficult game, but we don't want anything else. We want to take on the best."
Klinsmann also commented on the possibility of the game ending in extra time:
"If we have to play 120 minutes, I am convinced we will be even fitter ... I have no worries that we can keep up the same tempo even in extra-time."
As to the newspaper report that there will be a lot of Sweden supporters showing up in Munich to negate partially Germany's home advantage, Klinsmann commented:
"I don't think that will be a problem ... Even if there are a few more Swedish fans in the stadium, we know the German fans are going to be louder. It's going to be a great atmosphere and we can hardly wait for it to start."
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com, Reuters)
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23 June 2006
Klinsmann: We won't stop in round of 16 or quarter-final
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Klinsmann expressed his wish to at least reach the semi-final in a news conference: "Our expectations as a football nation don't stop in the round of 16 or at the quarter-final stage ... There's simply no way for that, especially at a World Cup in your home country ... I believe the team is motivated to the max. They know what they're capable of doing. After that, we've got the next stage. I feel great. The mood is fantastic."
(Source: Reuters)
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23 June 2006
Bild newspaper columnist apologies to Klinsmann
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Bild newspaper columnist Franz Josef Wagner apologised today for tormenting Klinsmann the last two years, writing: "Forgive me for thinking in my narrow-mindedness that you were an idiot. I was wrong."
(Source: Reuters)
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21 June 2006
More comment from Klinsmann after the group stage
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In a news conference in Berlin today, Klinsmann had made several comment after the group stage.
As to the opponent in the Round of 16:
"We're all well aware we only have tough fixtures ahead, and we'll definitely have to improve, starting with the Sweden match ... But we've come a long way over the last few weeks, and we've kept our focus in every match. We're justifiably confident about meeting Sweden."
"Sweden were determined and focused even in the goalless draw against Trinidad and Tobago ... We'll focus on every tiny detail in our preparations. We've watched all three of their matches so far, and we're aware they rate among the genuine contenders for the trophy. We took a very close look at every team and every player even before the tournament, so we're very well informed about the way they play. We'll review the analysis and pass the right information on to the players."
As to his young team:
"My young players have grown and matured in recent weeks ... It's a good basis for the big moments waiting for us in the second round. You need the ability to win in the 92nd minute, and we��re convinced we can."
"We never stop talking about how we can help our players develop their personalities ... All of them know we have total faith in them, they know they're allowed mistakes and off days. You have to keep faith with the younger generation."
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com)
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20 June 2006
Match Report: Germany vs Ecuador 3-0
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The attitude of the teams determined the result of this game. For Germany, they had one aim - to be the group winner. For Ecuador (5 of their regulars were kept on the bench including Delgado and C Tenorio, who together scored 4 goals in the last 2 matches), they did not care about the result. So, Germany won by 3-0, but truly, the scoreline was not a true reflection of the ability of the two sides.
In the starting lineup, Metzelder (suffered a slight injury but still fit to play) was replaced by Huth and Ballack continued to feature as the team's "locomotive".
The game started smoothly for Germany as they scored in their first shot on goal. In the 4th minutes, Klose hitted it hard and scored from 8 yards from a right low cross by Schweinsteiger.
In the rest of the first half, Germany controlled the game and scored their second goal just before the half-time whistle. At the 44th minute, Ballack (who was selected as the Man of the Match) cleverly chipped the ball pass 3 Ecuador's defenders to Klose who quickly received the ball, passed the opponent goalkeeper and scored his fourth goal in the tournament.
At the 57th minute, Germany scored their third goal in a quick counter-attack. Schweinsteiger collected the ball in their own half and then passed to Schneider running on the right flank. Schneider then crossed it low accurately next to the foot of Podolski who then slided the ball into the net and scored his first goal in the tournament.
Both teams then failed to create anymore real chance and the game ended at 3-0. This brought Germany 3 straight wins in their 3 group matches since 1970's World Cup.
In this game, Klinsmann tried two new thing. First, he put Huth in the central defence. However, Huth seemed to be a bit nervous and nearly created a penalty for the opponent. Second, Klinsmann tried to play Ballack and Borowski in the central midfield in the last 24 minutes but apparently Ballack and Frings were the better pair.
After the match, Klinsmann had the following comment:
"That's three games and three wins, and we're obviously very pleased. It's great for our self-confidence, and also because we're growing as a team. Ecuador weren't really a measuring stick for what we'll come up against in the Round of 16. The game was completely different in style from the one against Poland. It was played in really high temperatures and Ecuador wanted to keep things slow."
"We know that the real World Cup is only just beginning. We'll be playing teams of a different calibre now and the circumstances will be totally different. It's not a problem for us that people see us as being among the favourites. It's our home World Cup and we've got a very strong squad. People are starting to take notice of us, and that's a good thing."
"I'm really glad that Lukas Podolski scored. Goals are what a striker thrives on, and the lad really is unbelievably talented. Now he just has to keep on picking up more experience and try to get into a rhythm. What's also good is that he's got Miroslav Klose alongside him, who is really making his mark on the tournament. Miroslav Klose is currently showing exactly what he's made of.
The World Cup is a chance to stand out from the crowd and to step up to the next level. He's in his prime, and is unbelievably hungry for goals. We're all hoping that he'll get on a roll and carry us through the tournament."
Klinsmann also praised the crowd for driving his team to this victory and commented: "When you play at home you have the crowd behind you and that gives the players an extra push. It's World Cup fever."
It was true that Germany had a great victory, but everyone knows that Ecuador's attitude had contributed to this victory. Let's see if Germany can maintain their form and confidence in the Round of 16 against Sweden.
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com, soccernet.com)
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Klose was playing his trademark somersault after scoring the 1st goal.
Klinsmann was celebrating with Podolski after Podolski scored the 3rd goal.
| Statistics |
| Team |
Ger |
Ecu |
| Score |
3 |
0 |
| Shots (on target) |
15(9) |
7(2) |
| Possession |
43% |
57% |
| Free Kicks |
0 |
2 |
| Corner Kicks |
2 |
5 |
| Offsides |
3 |
0 |
| Fouls |
18 |
22 |
| Yellow Cards |
1 |
1 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
0 |
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20 June 2006
Match preview: Germany vs Ecuador
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Klinsmann declared his desire to win just before the match against Ecuador. He said "Winning the group is very important to us ... We want to go through with our chests puffed out."
He added "We just think about Ecuador right now ... We want to win because it would give us further confidence. Then we can talk about who is coming up next, if it will be England, Sweden or someone else ... We don't really care who we are going to play. We know it will be very tough whoever it is going to be and we are looking forward to it."
When asked about whether his side were already warming up for another penalty drama, Klinsmann replied with a wry smile: "At the moment we are not practising penalty kicks."
As to his next opponent, Klinsmann described Ecuador as a team which is "one of the top teams at the World Cup" and commented that "they deserve our respect because they've shown they can play away from home, and not just in Quito high above sea level." So, he predicted the coming match to be "one of those hard-fought matches that really take it out of you. It'll be a real battle �V that's Ecuador's style."
As to the starting lineup against Ecuador, although Klinsmann insisted Ballack to play despite his potential ban in the round of 16 on receiving one more yellow card, Klinsmann hinted that there might be some changes in his team's lineup as he explained:
"We are contemplating which players need to be on the field to keep their rhythm and what effect a yellow card ban might have ... And we are thinking about the possibility of fielding players who have not yet had a chance to shine." On the other hand, Klinsmann said he would keep Podolski and Friedrich
(both of them failed to perform well in the previous two matches) in the field as he explained: "We're right behind Arne, and Lukas is obviously desperate to open his account, but I'm sure that'll come. He always seems to score when everyone least expects it. We've told him not to worry about it too much."
(Source: PA, Reuter, FIFAworldcup.com)
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19 June 2006
Klinsmann: Podolski will score
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Podolski was recently put on the spot by the media because he had yet to score. Newspaper report even suggested that there was a rift in the squad. Klinsmann and Klose (Podolski's strike partner) both came out and defenced Podolski. Klinsmann said "We've told him not to worry ... He'd love to get on the scoresheet at this World Cup and I'm sure he will."
(Source: Reuters)
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19 June 2006
Ballack: I would be pleased if Klinsmann continue to coach
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In an interview with daily Die Welt, Ballack said that Klinsmann had found "a team, which has a lot of scope to develop and which has been rightfully forecast a bright future" and commented that "I would be pleased if he continued because I think it would be great for German soccer."
(Source: Reuters)
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14 June 2006
Germany is into the last 16
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Congratulation! Klinsmann succeeded in bringing Germany into the last 16 after Ecuador had beaten Costa Rica today.
So, the last game against Ecuador will be the decider for the group leader. Germany must win in order to be the first in Group A. Will Klinsmann try something new in this game? Let's see.
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14 June 2006
Match Report: Germany vs Poland 1-0
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This was an unforgettable night for all fans of Germany not only because Germany has won this crucial group stage match but also because Germany had demostrated its determination to win and its ability to win. Germany created a lot more chances (16 shots, 8 on target) than its opponent (5 shots, 3 on target). If Boruc (the goalkeeper of Poland) had not maintained a superb form throughout the whole match, Germany would have scored at least 3 goals.
In this game, Germany tried to use both side the create chances but only crosses from the left were threatening because of the outstanding performance by Lahm (left back), who was rewarded the Man of the Match. Lahm ran up and down the left flank throughout the whole match and made a number of quality crosses including one late on the 90th minute that found Klose, who was unlucky to hit the bar with his header (Ballack followed up the shot from 6 yards but it was again denied by the bar).
Lahm also had one scoring chance in the 80th minute but it was saved by the Poland goalkeeper.
While it seemed that luck was on Poland's side (who were down to 10 men since Sobolewski was sent off in the 75th minute), the German's determination to win rewarded them with a winning goal in injury time from an attack on the right. In fact, the right hand side attack was not as effective as the left because Schneider (right midfielder) was busy at distributing and controlling the ball and Friedrich (right back) was not performing well.
It was only after Friedrich was replaced by Odonkor in the 64th minute that the right hand side of the Germany became alive. Odonkor, who had the speed of light, made at least 6 crosses in the last 30 minutes, one of which was turned into the winning goal by Neuville (a substitution in the 71th minute for Podolski, who was lacking a bit of luck and wasted one scoring chance from 5 yards near the end of the first half) in the 91st minute.
As to Germany's defence, it appeared that Germany had improved its defence with the inclusion of Ballack who played a defensive role in the midfield. However, it may be a conclusion drawn too early as Poland did not pose too much threat to Germany.
Moreover, the German defence was lack in pace and could not effectively cope with Poland's quick counter-attack. This was reflected from the fact that 3 German players (including Ballack) received yellow card in their attempts to stop the Poland's quick attacker by foul.
After the match, Klinsmann had the following comments:
"It was a well-deserved win. We had so many chances but the ball just didn't seem to want to go in. We kept up the tempo throughout the match, but the longer you go without scoring, the more nervous you feel. At the end, when Poland were down to ten men, we really piled on the pressure and it paid off in the end.
The substitutions were designed to give us more pace. We always believed that we could win. You can't write us Germans off until the final whistle blows."
"The team spirit and togetherness are incredible ... The players always give their all and, as a coach, that makes you both happy and very proud. We never stopped believing that we'd get the winner. The fact that the goal didn't come until the last minute and there was so much tension just made it even more special. When that happens it's great for both for the players and coaches. We go through all the ups and downs along with them."
As to Ballack's performance, Klinsmann said "We are extremely pleased with his performance because his role is crucial for us ... He is our leader and our locomotive. He is the connecting link between the back four and the strikers and he played an excellent game. We live by his rhythm and he is a very special player for us."
By the way, this win is Germany's first win against an European team in international tournament since Germany's victory over Czech Republic in EURO 96.
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com, soccernet.com)
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Neuville (bottom left) celebrating his goal at 91' with Klose (bottom right) and Ballack (top)
Klinsmann was celebrating with his team's goal scored at 91'
| Statistics |
| Team |
Ger |
Pol |
| Score |
1 |
0 |
| Shots (on target) |
16(8) |
5(3) |
| Possession |
58% |
42% |
| Free Kicks |
0 |
0 |
| Corner Kicks |
10 |
4 |
| Offsides |
6 |
2 |
| Fouls |
21 |
17 |
| Yellow Cards |
3 |
4 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
1 |
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13 June 2006
Match Preview: Germany v Poland
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Germany will face Poland on 14 June 2006 at 21:00 (CET, Central European Time) in Dortmund's Westfalenstadion.
Germany has won its first match against Costa Rica in an entertaining match whereas Poland suffered an unexpected defeat by Ecuador in its first match.
So, the aim of both teams are clear: for Germany, it wants to win in order to secure its place in the Round of 16; for Poland, it must win in order to keep its chance to proceed to the next stage.
Klinsmann described Poland as "a boxer who seems down" who "is always at his most dangerous". He commented that "Poland have got their backs to the wall, so Wednesday's match promises to be one heck of a battle."
He also said "We know that it will be a very tough match. Poland will be doing their utmost to remain in the tournament. It's the last chance saloon for them and this means that it'll be one heck of a match. We will have to come out playing positive and aggressive football."
So, it is for sure that Poland will give a real test to Germany's floppy defence.
Hopefully, the return of Ballack can stablize Germany's defence as Klinsmann has confirmed that Ballack (who has recovered from his calf problem) will begin in the starting lineup in the match against Poland. Klinsmann told the press at a news conference on Sunday: "Michael will play in the second game ... You can take that for granted."
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com)
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9 June 2006
Match Report: Germany vs Costa Rica 4-2
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Germany had displayed Klinsmann's non-traditional attacking direct style of football throughout the whole match and overwhelmed Costa Rica by 21 shots (10 on target).
Germany just needed 3 minutes to create its first real chance in which Frings fired a long range shot which had Costa Rica goalkeeper Jose Porras well beaten, but the ball just cleared the crossbar and landed on the roof of the net.
Pressure from Germany continued and at the 6th minute, full-back Lahm cut inside on the left flank and curled a beautiful drive which clipped into the net off the far post to send Germany into an early lead. This goal was later selected as the Goal of the Day.
However, this was a short lead as Wanchope beat Germany's offside trap (Klinsmann used a flat back-four defence) and slided the ball past Lehmann to score an equaliser for Costa Rica at the 12th minute.
Germany regained the advantage 5 minutes later as Klose (who scored 2 goals and was selected as the Man of the Match) scored inside the area from Schweinsteiger's low cross at the 17th minutes.
At the 61th minute, Germany increased their lead as Klose scored his second goal. From Lahm's teasing cross, the ball looped up off Costa Rican defender and although Klose's initial header was well saved by Porras, he followed up to lift it high into the net.
At the 73th minute, Wanchope "beat" Germany's offside trap again (but it seemed Wanchope was offside as seen from reply) and clipped the ball past Lehmann to score.
Finally, at the 87th minute, Frings completed the scoreline by another spectacular goal with an unstoppable drive into the corner from some 25 metres making the score 4-2.
Meanwhile, Germany goalkeeper Lehmann suffered an ankle injury during this match.
After the match, Klinsmann had the following comments:
"It was a very open game with lots of goals. Obviously we're very satisfied with the performance, but with it being the opening game we were a little nervous both before and during the match. Because of that we made a couple of mistakes and gave away two goals. I'd also like to thank the crowd who were right behind us the whole game and urged us on when we were struggling."
"As for Michael Ballack's absence, all I can say is that it was a decision that just had to be made. The doctor warned me that if he played, there might be consequences, and we didn't want to risk it. It doesn't bother me at all that he said he wanted to play. Every player should be anxious to get out there on the pitch. I'm sure he'll be back for the Poland game."
"Costa Rica's goals came from some pretty basic errors. Goals are only scored when someone makes a mistake. We're working hard to up our game in midfield and in defence, where they caught us off guard twice."
True, Germany's defence was horrible and the mistakes they made were elementary. Let's see how Klinsmann deal with it in the next match against Poland.
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com)
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Klose celebrating his goal
Klinsmann was delighted by his team's win
| Statistics |
| Team |
Ger |
Cos |
| Score |
4 |
2 |
| Shots (on target) |
21(10) |
4(2) |
| Possession |
63% |
37% |
| Free Kicks |
1 |
0 |
| Corner Kicks |
7 |
3 |
| Offsides |
3 |
3 |
| Fouls |
11 |
15 |
| Yellow Cards |
0 |
1 |
| Red Cards |
0 |
0 |
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8 June 2006
Interview with Klinsmann
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This is an interview conducted by the FIFA Magazine ("F") with Klinsmann ("K").
F: Would you rather win a game 3-2 or 1-0?
K: 3-2, because I used to be a striker. It's simply more fun when more goals go in.
F: When a coach takes over a team he often tries to build from the back. You took a different approach; you preach an attacking style of play.
K: Our approach from the beginning has been to work with the players to develop an identity, to define a football philosophy that the players share and uphold on the pitch. Our primary aim is to get the ball forward quickly and play. Only once we had agreed on this did we turn our attention to the individual sections of the team and consider the players with whom it might work.
F: So is the balance right with regard to the FIFA World Cup?
K: We are convinced the results will come if every player on the pitch "busts a gut" to implement our dynamic tactics. There's enough quality in this young side to beat the bigger teams.
F: You stated your ambition of reaching the final early on. Wouldn't it have been easier to say Germany were outsiders?
K: No, it wouldn't. We've won the World Cup and the European Championship three times. So among the fans there's automatically the expectation that we'll be in the final of a World Cup in our own country. Germany were in the 2002 World Cup final, after all. Whether that was down to an excellent showing in Korea/Japan or merely luck is up for debate.
But I can't just come and say we'll be happy if we get to the quarter-finals. The most important reason for saying what I said was to get the players �V now that we have injected youth into the squad �V to consider these expectations. We didn't want the players to be overwhelmed by the public's dream of winning the 2006 World Cup.
Instead, we wanted them to concern themselves with it over a longer period to put them in a position to achieve this major objective.
F: What you wanted was a learning effect...
K: Precisely. It's harder to grasp the desire to win the World Cup in just one month. As well as bringing the players on in football terms, we wanted to encourage their development as people.
F: Despite all these efforts, if you come up against Brazil, you'll be outsiders.
K: That's correct. But we've learnt to live with the fact that we still lack a few things. That's why we deliberately chose to play strong opponents in our friendlies. We aren't at the same stage as Brazil or Argentina. But we know we can beat them if everything comes together. If it doesn't, though, we don't stand a chance.
F: Does that mean Germany need seven perfect games to win the FIFA World Cup?
K: Correct.
F: Is German football ready for your modern methods of team management?
K: That's for other people to decide. I'm not changing anything for the sake of it. We simply want to improve in all the areas we can. When we saw we could get better in terms of fitness, we appointed new fitness coaches. When we realised a psychologist would help, we went in search of one �V and found one six months later. That said, many things were good already. Rudi Voller left us a compact team. We just looked for areas where it was still possible to hone our performance.
F: With every change you make you leave yourself open to attack, though...
K: That will always be the case no matter what job you're in. Whenever you change something you take away a little of what people have become accustomed to �V until those affected are convinced the changes are right.
F: Hannover 96 coach Peter Neururer called you an 'apprentice'. Did that annoy you?
K: I have always emphasised what an honour it was to be asked to take charge of the German national team. And I have enough confidence in myself to do the job. But I'm not a coach with 20 years' experience under his belt. So it's true if someone says I haven't achieved anything as a coach. The yardstick for my work will be how well we do in the World Cup. I have no problem with that whatsoever.
F: Wouldn't it have been easier to implement your meticulous methods of working at a club, where you have the players at your disposal every day?
K: To implement them, yes. But the chance to lead your national team to the World Cup title on home soil doesn't come around every day. The question of whether to accept or not takes 30 seconds to answer. That's almost exactly the amount of time I needed to discuss it with my wife before accepting the offer and thus taking on a great job. I would have regretted it for the rest of my life if I hadn't.
F: One of the tasks performed by your staff is to watch lots of other teams. How much of this information do you pass on to your players?
K: When we take on Costa Rica in the opening match, I want to know everything there is to know about them. But a lot of the information of relevance to us as coaches won't be passed on to the players. It's only important for our own considerations. In front of the team we'll always talk about our own strengths, as Kevin Keegan did when he was a manager. That's our main focus. But we'll always show video footage of the opposition.
F: But less is sometimes more.
K: The fact is that only a few messages actually sink in with the players when they're out on the pitch. I know that from my own experience. You can't go into a game with ten to 15 pieces of information. Two or three key words are enough; the game is far too quick for any more. The fascinating thing about football is that it's a game for the players and always will be. Unfortunately, that is something that parents and coaches often forget when it comes to youth football in western countries. The coach has only a very small say in the decision-making process.
F: Do you treat all your players the same?
K: No, I don't. We live in the year 2006 and football has become individualised. I have to find a way of communicating with each player. Some respond to visual things, some seek an intensive conversation, while others need comforting occasionally. This is precisely why we're convinced we can benefit from the work of sports psychologists. Football is still in its infancy when it comes to the mental side of coaching top athletes. Many individual sportsmen and women are ahead of football in this respect.
F: The players have to accept this help, though.
K: Sure they do, which is why it's only worthwhile if an interpersonal bridge exists. And it can take years for it to have an effect. That's why the route we've taken is wrong really. Sports psychology should be introduced at U-15 or U-16 level, not in the senior team. Should our first steps in this area prove a success at the World Cup, we'll consider how we can extend it down to the youngest age groups.
F: The closer we get to the FIFA World Cup, the more experts are criticising you in their opinion pieces and columns. Do you ever feel like ringing them up to defend yourself?
K: There comes a point, of course, when you bottle up your anger, that's only human. And after the game against the USA in Dortmund I took a direct approach at the press conference and criticised some sections of the media. It wasn't a general broadside because everybody knew which publications were meant. But I always get back to what is essential very quickly. I'm simply trying to keep negative vibes away from the team. I want them to see that the coach isn't bothered by any of this, that he totally believes in his players.
In doing so, you create a winning mentality. I've experienced it as a player at major clubs and observed it at others. When I was with Inter Milan at the beginning of the 90s, our local rivals AC Milan had huge success with (Franco) Baresi, (Frank) Rijkaard, (Roberto) Donadoni, (Marco) van Basten and (Ruud) Gullit. They said to themselves, 'It doesn't matter whether we're playing a village team or Barcelona today, we're going to thrash them.'
At the same time there's a modern trend for increasing numbers of former players and coaches to be paid by the media to make provocative statements. It's something you have to accept. A new profession has been opened up; new jobs have been created (laughs). It doesn't upset me at all.
F: Is there a moment at the FIFA World Cup that you're particularly looking forward to?
K: Yes, there is �V the opening whistle at the first match. When you can say, 'We're off'. Because every one of us wants to experience this World Cup and take in the sights around us and the atmosphere. I've taken part in six major tournaments and have always experienced them very intensively, whether we were successful or not.
F: Would you go so far as to say that you'll enjoy it?
K: I'll be tense and going through the same emotions as the players; I'll 'live' the matches. It's going to be a great experience for our community.
F: Why did you take so long to answer the question of who's going to be your number one goalkeeper, in other words, who'd won the duel between Oliver Kahn and Jens Lehmann?
K: Quite simply because we have two world-class goalkeepers and I didn't know what was going to happen before the World Cup started. If I'd decided against one early on and the other had sustained an injury, the first might no longer have been in top condition. The competition spurred them on and I ask myself why the goalkeeper situation should be any different to that of the right-back or the centre-forward. I have to keep the players on their toes.
F: A number of players in your squad have not been playing regularly for their clubs. Is this a disadvantage or might these players be fresher than others at the FIFA World Cup?
K: Take the example of Greece, who went to EURO 2004 with a number of players who had regularly sat on the bench for their clubs. In Portugal they went into their matches with the utmost passion. Another question will be how the top players from the major leagues will cope with the demands of playing in lots of different competitions. During the last World Cup in Korea/Japan, a number of stars did not play to their full potential.
Among those affected were (Zinedine) Zidane, (Luis) Figo, Rui Costa and the Argentinians. But you only find these things out during the tournament. As a consequence of the 2002 World Cup, FIFA has extended the break between the end of the league season and the World Cup, which for me is a good measure.
F: You are giving a lot of thought to German football and how it can be improved. Why did you not extend your contract beyond the FIFA World Cup?
K: Generally I can certainly see myself carrying on after the World Cup. But my work will be judged by how well we do. Let's be realistic: if we get knocked out early, I'm out of a job whether I've got a contract or not. As things are now, there'd be no follow-on costs for the association. But that's not something I'm thinking about right now because I'm having too much fun doing my job.
F: Is being Germany coach a dream job for you?
K: It's an unusual one, a wonderful job that cannot be bettered. That's why I wasn't bothered about being 'only' third in line after Ottmar Hitzfeld and Otto Rehhagel had turned the position down.
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com, http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060607/1/7626.html)
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8 June 2006
Ballack will miss the World Cup opener
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At a press conference today, Klinsmann told the press that "It seems that Michael Ballack cannot play against Costa Rica ... He only trained for 30 minutes on Wednesday and then had to pull out ... We wanted Ballack on board as he is our captain and leader but it is important that he recovers ... We want him to get back to full fitness so that he can be fit for the other games in the competition."
(Source: AFP)
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7 June 2006
Klinsmann was the top player among all World Cup coaches
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Almost one third of the coaches taking part in World Cup 2006 have previously played in World Cup as player.
Among them, Klinsmann made the most appearances (17, 1990-1998) and scored most goals (11).
The others are:
- Zico (Japan) - 14 caps /5 goals (Brazil, 1978-1986)
- Oleg Blokhin (Ukraine) - 7/2 (USSR, 1982-1986)
- Pawel Janas (Poland) - 6/0 (Poland, 1982)
- Ilija Petkovic (Serbia and Montenegro) - 5/1 (Yugoslavia, 1974)
- Marco Van Basten (Netherlands) - 4/0 (Netherlands, 1990)
- Alexandre Guimaraes (Costa Rica) - 3/0 (Costa Rica, 1990)
- Jakob Kuhn (Switzerland) - 2/0 (Switzerland, 1966)
- Henri Michel (Cote d'Ivoire) - 2/0 (France, 1978)
- Ricardo La Volpe (Mexico) - unused sub (Argentina, 1978)
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com)
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7 June 2006
Ballack: Our team is not so stable
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Just two days before the World Cup opening against Costa Rica, Ballack expressed his view on the German National Team, he told Germany daily Handelsblatt "We have players that have been on the pitch only sporadically with their club teams. We don't have the choice of players we had in the 1990 World Cup or in the 1996 European Championship ...
As a result the team makes mistakes and is not fixed. For that reason I think there is a little uncertainty as we head into the tournament ... The results and performance in the run-up to the World Cup show that this team is not so stable ... We need to be clear that we can't all have an offensive mindset." Ballack also expressed that he found it hard to find the right balance between attack and defence.
(Source: Reuters)
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6 June 2006
Ballack misses training again
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Ballack missed training today again due to a calf problem. Team doctor said Ballack was making progress but his calf can still not take a lot of pressure.
Ballack insisted at a press conference today that he will be ready for the first match and that his injury is not that serious.
(Source: AFP)
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5 June 2006
Ballack misses training
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Ballack missed a training session today due to a calf complaint, but team doctors said it was just a precautionary measure.
(Source: AFP)
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5 June 2006
Germany arrives at their WC06 base camp at Berlin
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Germany arrived at their base camp at Schlosshotel Grunewald, Berlin on 5 June 2006 with several hundred fans welcoming them. Klinsmann was in confident mood, declaring: "We are planning to stay until 10 July."
Klinsmann commented that "The team have put in a tremendous effort so far, but we will continue to work at a high intensity" and his players "are in good enough physical condition to play as many games as necessary at this tournament".
He also told the press that "We believe we have built a team over the last two years that has the right ingredients and that is well-equipped both from a footballing and mental perspective. The foundations are there and now we have the opportunity to do something. In addition, we have fantastic fans."
When asked about the World Cup opening against Costa Rica, Klinsmann said "We have completed our video analysis on Costa Rica and we will be working on that over the next few days ... With all respect to the Costa Ricans, we want to concentrate on ourselves and play our own game."
(Source: FIFAworldcup.com)
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5 June 2006
Klinsmann's future
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Klinsmann told the press at a news conference on 5 June 2006 that he will only consider staying on as Germany coach beyond WC06 if he feels the team are making progress.
He said "The yardstick is success ... It all depends on whether we reap the rewards or not ... I can well imagine hanging on for two or even four years after the World Cup. It's a privileged position ... The philosophy we have here is forward thinking. It's enabled us to play fast-paced, aggressive football but we're on a learning curve and we'll see where we are at the World Cup. It's all down to how Germany perform."
He added "There is a family thing as well ... I'd have to discuss it with my wife."
Klinsmann never wanted Germany to play the opening match, he argued Brazil should go first as holders. He said "There is pressure, I won't deny it, but I've told the players to accept it and to convert it into the joy of playing football ... The crowds will be a great help. We've prepared for Costa Rica but, as of Wednesday evening, we'll focus solely on ourselves."
(Source: Reuters)
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4 June 2006
Klinsmann finds winning line for press critics
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Klinsmann welcomed an offer from the editor-in-chief of Bild am Sonntag newspaper to forecast and write the tabloid's headline for its July 9, 2006 edition (the day of the World Cup final).
"Jungs, ihr packt das!" (Lads, you can do it!)," Klinsmann said in an interview on Sunday.
And when asked to write a headline for the day after on July 10, he said: "Ihr habt's gepackt!" (You did it!)."
Klinsmann also expressed he disliked tabloid headline writers shortening his name to 'Klinsi'. "I wish this nickname didn't exist," he said. "I don't like it at all. But fortunately my wife says 'Jurgen' to me."
(Source: Reuters)
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3 June 2006
Klinsmann: We are ready and we can hardly wait for it to start
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After beating Colombia by 3-0, Klinsmann told the press Germany is ready for the World Cup 2006.
"After two years working hard towards this goal, we can hardly wait for it to start."
"We're hungry for the tournament and we'll stay hungry because we want to be in it all the way to the end."
"We're going into it with our heads held high. We've got five weeks in front of us, hopefully five more weeks."
"The most important part of the last two years was to develop an energetic and fast-paced style of footbal."
"We've worked hard the last two years and had some ups and downs but knew where we wanted to arrive. We had this deadline of June 9 in front of us since then. Overall, it went well. We believe in this team and have a lot of confidence in it."
When commenting about his job, Klinsmann said "I knew when I took over this job that I wouldn't do right by everyone, that's not my goal ... My goal is not to please everyone on the outside but to build a confident team and a strong team. We're on a good path. I'm optimistic."
(Source: Reuters)
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2 June 2006
Match Report: Germany vs Columbia 3-0
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Germany satisfactorily completed their 3 WC06 warm-up matches with a moral-boosting win against Columbia.
Three beautiful goals from Ballack (headed home a set-piece from Schweinsteiger at 21 min), Schweinsteiger (fired home a 25-metre free-kick at 37 min) and Borowski (scored from 13 metres long range shot out on the right at 69 min) secured this victory.
Meanwhile, Lahm, who was recovering from his elbow injury, returned to the field in this match.
(Source: soccernet.com)
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Podolski (left), Ballack (centre) & Schweinsteiger (right) celebrating a goal against Colombia
Klinsmann & his team celebrating a goal against Colombia
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1 June 2006
Ballack criticizes Klinsmann's tactics
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Ballack criticized Klinsmann's tactics publicly for the first time in a press conference in Duesseldorf on 1 June 2006 after Germany had drawn Japan by 2-2 two days ago. He said "Jurgen Klinsmann has formulated a very young team the last two years and we are always making the same mistakes and we have the same problems in defence ...
We have a very, very attacking style as we showed against Japan but we are losing too much possession. Against teams which will be very well prepared for the World Cup, like Costa Rica, Ecuador and Poland (Germany's Group A opponents), we should be concentrating on our defence ... The coach [Klinsmann] knows what I think as well as what other players think. We have already spoken about this but it's up to him to make the final decisions."
(Source: AFP)
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