As Germany enters a record 7th semi final in the European Championships,the whole world is standing up and taking notice and this time,it is accompanied by love and excitement,not loath and despise.The German National Team or Die Deutsche Nationalmannschaft,formerly divided as East and West Germany,has been,throughout history,known for their ruthless efficiency and well disciplined and organised approach.They were not famous for aesthetic football and neither did they catch the eye of the neutrals with their rigid but effective football.Plus the glut of success that followed them and eluded the wondrous Hungary and Holland teams of yesteryears made them the scorn of the football world.But times are changing and so is the football landscape.German football has evolved over the past few years and with it cliched stereotypes associated with German football have been put to bed.
Ever since the revolution of 2000,when,after the debacle of EURO 2000,the DFB decided to re-structure and re-organise the entire landscape of German football and created a multi-cultural,multi-ethnic and highly competitive atmosphere,German football has come leaps and bounds.New dimensions to their footballing style,coupled with the emergence of young,dynamic coaches who willed to give youth a chance,have propelled Germany to the upper echelons of the footballing ladder and as of now,they find themselves being hailed as one of the highly proactive and attractive football teams of the present day.
EURO 2012
Germany have advanced to the semi finals of the competition without much fuss,seeing off all their opponents with relative ease.The coach,Jogi Loew,has shown that he isn't afraid to tinker with the winning formula and make big calls,evident when he dropped top scorer Mario Gomez in favour of the older statesman Miro Klose.
Germany are brimming with confidence heading into the final stages of the competition.Here,I point out a few things which may well be the reason for "die Deutsche Herrlichkeit"
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| Loew:knows the task at hand |
- THE MANAGER : KNOWS THE TEAM,KNOWS THE TARGETS
National team managers often tend to be a bit cut off from their players due to the relatively less time they spend with the players as compared to club managers.But Loew has excellent rapport with his players and was,more often than not,spotted at several Bundesliga grounds last seaon.His proactiveness may hold key to German success as his antics and gestures on the touchline showing that he expects big things from his team.
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| Oezil:slowly but surely finding his feet |
- MESUT OEZIL : HITTING HIS STRIDE AT THE RIGHT MOMENT
A fearful prospect for opposition teams,Oezil found his missing feet against a defensive Greece side after being heavily marked and shadowed in the group stage matches.The way he sliced open the Greek rearguard several times,including creating two of the goals,shows that he is about to hit top form.Oezil currently tops the assists charts with 3 assists and has also won 2 Carlsberg Man of the Match prizes for his impressive displays.
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| Reus:an inspired selection |
- BENCH STRENGTH
Against Greece,Germany tested their bench and it reaped rich dividends.Marco Reus was a revelation and he could well be one of the mainstays of the national team for years to come.Miro Klose rolled back the years and Andre Schurlle was impressive too.In the previous match against Denmark,Lars Bender vindicated his selection by netting the winner.And we haven't even mentioned the precocious,outrageously talented Mario Goetze.Strength on the bench means Loew will be able to call upon any of his fringe players in case of a change in gameplan.
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| Germany's history is littered with silverware |
- NO WEIGHT OF HISTORY
History has a good hand on Germany,as has been the case most often.Simply by virtue of what their predecessors achieved,the present German team are free from any psychological barriers(curses,jinx,etc.) which the Spain players went through at the 2010 World Cup.But the fact that they have come unstuck in the latter stages of competition football in recent times raises questions about their mental strength.But still the positives far outweigh the negatives.
As Hans Christian Andersen says "Es gibt keinen anderen Teufel als den, den wir in unserem eigenen Herzen haben."
which means that,there is no other hell than the one we have in our own hearts.
Germany just have to believe in themselves and their ability to succeed,and a trophy may well be in their hands this summer after 16 long years.
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