1. After Germany defeated Argentine in the quarterfinals, Bastian Schweinsteiger was asked which team he prefers to face in the Semifinals. The star midfielder didn’t hesitate: „Spain, we want to face the best team“. Some could have view his answer as arrogant, or as him presenting a wish to take revenge for Germany’s loss to Spain in the European final in 2008. Some might say that Schweinsteiger’s answer is the essence of being a German: look the situation as it is and go on about it.
A couple of days later, Schweinsteiger’s response got much clearer. Urs Siegenthaler, dubbed 007 by the German media, said in an interview that Spain can’t surprise Germany. Siegenthaler, one of Lowe’s assistant, said that the keys for the game are in Germany’s hands and that Spain can’t surprise his team. Siegenthaler is a man worth listening to: his video preparation destroyed England and Argentine.
He was right. Spain’s football is not surprising, it is very predictable. You know exactly what they are going to do, and still: How do you stop Xavi amazing dance with the ball? How do you defend the choreography of Spanish player moving across the pitch without the ball?
2. Germany’s early goals against England and Argentine distorted its real ability. It killed these team when they were looking for the equalizer. Against team that showed no fear or got the early lead, Germany was not so scary.
Against Spain, Germany got into a catch 22 situation. It was too scared of Spain’s counterattack to send more players into the offense, and it showed very limited ability trying to develop an organized attack. In the first half German players looked like question marks, and just before they lost faith, the opted to reach their only chance of winning: get to the penalties.
At the end of the day, this is what Germany worth right now against Spain: A small one-neal that you can drive 20 Semi-trailers through its gap.
3. The German roster, excuse me for the cliche, was built like a machine of equal parts, each one of them working in harmony with the other. That’s why mueller absence was so huge last night.
4. After the first games, when Spain lost to Switzerland and Argentine danced against Nigeria, some people wondered whether this is how Barcelona looked without Messi. Now, after Argentine was humiliated and Spain was dominant against the same opponent, the question is whether this is how Messi looks without Barcelona.
5. Many, including myself, were talking during this tournament about the other Germany: Sexy Germany, Berlin Germany, love parade, multi-kulti, fun to watch, integrated. But there is the other aspect of this new Germany: all of a sudden its players are cheating while creating a wall against penalty kicks, and they are afraid of Spain. Since when German football is afraid of anybody? Since when there is a favorite against Germany?
Germany used to be a bad ass team, it had superiority complex that helped it win over much better teams in the past. The 2010 campaign team is smart, fun and it made many adopt it as their second team, but it is not anymore a symbol for being a winner, for glorious comebacks, for not letting, ever, the opponent control its faith. This team is an example for hard work and what can come out of a modern sports culture, but it also a symbol for „there is a big tournament every two years, and Germany always lose in the last rounds after being the best football team“.
German coaches of the past never wasted their time complimenting the winning opponent. They were concerned with what went wrong with the German team. When Joachim Lowe is talking about the softness of his team it is one thing, when he compliments the Spaniards and says that „today we saw why it is so hard to bit Barcelona“, it is a complete different thing. Different Germany.
But, hey, today I saw a dog owner sitting outside the LPG Biomarkt and feeding her German Shepherd tomatoes. Organic tomatoes.
