2010 FIFA World Cup - Germany
2010 FIFA World Cup - Germany National Team
2010 FIFA World Cup Germany National Team:
Goalkeepers:
1 Manuel NEUER, 12 Tim WIESE and
22 Hans Joerg BUTT
Defenders:
3 Arne FRIEDRICH, 4 Dennis AOGO, 5 Serdar TASCI, 14 Holger BADSTUBER, 16 Philipp LAHM,
17 Per MERTESACKER and 20 Jerome BOATENG
Midfielders:
2 Marcell JANSEN, 6 Sami KHEDIRA, 7 Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER, 8 Mesut OEZIL,
13 Thomas MUELLER, 15 Piotr TROCHOWSKI, 18 Toni KROOS and 21 Marko MARIN
Forwards:
9 Stefan KIESSLING, 10 Lukas PODOLSKI, 11 Miroslav KLOSE, 19 CACAU and 23 Mario GOMEZ
Coach:
Joachim LOEW
Top Players Miroslav Klose (GER).
2010 FIFA World Cup Schedule & Scores
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
1954 FIFA World Cup CHAMPIONS
1974 FIFA World Cup CHAMPIONS
1990 FIFA World Cup CHAMPIONS
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.
Germany - 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 - Germany
The Favorites Joachim Low's team are not top seeds for nothing. They showed their form in a clinical and
unyielding Group 4 qualifying campaign in which the seven-goal Miroslav Klose, Michael Ballack and company accounted
for Guus Hiddink’s Russia. Given also their seemingly effortless march to the last UEFA European Championship final,
in 2008, you can expect another show of class from the seven-time FIFA World Cup finalists and three-time winners.