Deutschland vs England

[McMonkey]

I'm really looking forward to the game this afternoon as I'm sure you (German) guys are. I thought I would start a new thread for pre-match predictions and post match gloating /

I think this will be a close match. Germany have a young team with a lot of potential while England have a more experienced team, many of which are at their last world cup. Germany have started strong then faded slightly but still topped their group while England started poorly, got even worse then recovered to play well enough to qualify. I just feel like England haven't really got going yet!

The Kaiser (Beckenbauer) has been doing a great job in motivating the English team with his patronizing comments. Thanks Franz! I just prey it doesn't go to penalties as my nerves could not take it. I just want England to play with pride and passion and do the country proud. I'm sure the German players will be doing the same and we will have a cracking match

Whoever wins this match then only has Argentina, Spain and then Brazil to beat. Easy!

My prediction:

England 2-1 Germany
(Rooney & Crouch + Podolski)

[Theseus]

Have a visit in the "Sportecke"
I still like to see a match Oranje vs Germany, so sorry England, but Germany has to reach the final

[[VK]]

I will give you a direct link.

http://www.civforum.de/showthread.php?t=68156&page=4

[Historical Atze]

It's all in German there though, whereas the Civ2-Area is a lot more globalized .

I am a bit nervous today, too, but I think we can make it. It's not that I dislike the English that much (not as much as they show their dislike towards Germany whenever there's a match), but whenever there's a big tournament the English are hyped as the almost certain next champion, not so much by themselves but by lots of people I know, and - hard as it is - they always disappoint these people afterwards. It has been the same this year up to now. Maybe they can still improve but I am not sure.

[McMonkey]

Well played Germany, by far the best team on the day! Man for may I would have to say that England have the better players, yet whenever they leave their clubs and pull on the England top they just don't seem to play as a team. A real waste of potential! In contrast Germany played as a team, their counter-attacking was quick and direct and they were much more organized. Ozil impressed me a lot as did Klose. I wish Germany the best of luck against Argentina (sorry Dario) one of our other bogey teams. At least I didn't have to be crushed by a penalty shootout this time!

On a separate note I have to call for Sepp Blatter's head on a platter. Lampard's goal was well over the line and both the linesman and the referee were in a good position to see it but somehow still didn't. Within a couple of seconds the whole world could see it was a clear goal via a replay. So why no goal line technology? For god's sake its 2010 and we can pick out this sort of thing from a satelite orbiting earth, let alone a simple camera in the goal!!! I understand that not every match in the world would be able to have this in place but surely the top teams and the most important games warrant it?

This is not my excuse for England losing, but it did have some effect on the outcome of the game. I guess it is Germany's payback for Hurst's goal in 66

[Cobra]

On a separate note I have to call for Sepp Blatter's head on a platter. Lampard's goal was well over the line and both the linesman and the referee were in a good position to see it but somehow still didn't. Within a couple of seconds the whole world could see it was a clear goal via a replay. So why no goal line technology? For god's sake its 2010 and we can pick out this sort of thing from a satelite orbiting earth, let alone a simple camera in the goal!!! I understand that not every match in the world would be able to have this in place but surely the top teams and the most important games warrant it?

I absolutly agree with this. I think a 2-2 at halftime would have been very exciting.
Thanx for your gratulation and best wishes, too

[Gelion]

Despite the un-registered goal (when will FIFA start to use cameras?!!) it was a great game to watch! Congrats to both teams and I am looking forward to Argentina-Germany quarter-finals!

[Radyserb]

England lost the game

[Dario]

[QUOTE=McMonkey;3650742]I wish Germany the best of luck against Argentina (sorry Dario) [QUOTE]

[McMonkey]

I think Argentina are the strongest team but I will have to cheer on Germany

[Radyserb]

I wish Argentina the best of luck against Germany

[Alcibaides]

Man for man I would have to say that England have the better players

I hope you are not refering to Emile Heskey, who struggles to get a first team place at a mid-table premiership side. That just shows the depth of our squad when we have to call up players like that.

And as for Rooney, he has now played in 2 World Cups and failed to score even once. I don't think he has scored in the Euro Cup either.

@Radyserb, I thought you were German?

[McMonkey]

I will never understand England managers love for Heskey (7 goals in 62 games), an especially curious decision when you have Peter Crouch (21 goals in 40 games) available for the target man role. Granted his goals normally come against the smaller nations, but that was what Algeria and Slovenia were! I miss the days of Shearer and Sheringham up front

For some reason Capello turned into Graham Taylor with 4-4-2 and the long balls. That's just not how the game is played nowadays. I would have gone for Rooney up front with Gerrard just behind him Lampard and Joe Cole in midfield with Barry as the anchorman. I would have then gone with Upson, King and Terry at the back with Johnson and Ashley Cole as wing backs and James in goal. This way we could have competed in midfield and would have had adequate cover at the back. Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole would have been free to get forward and put in the crosses for Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney to attack. Barry would be forbidden from crossing the half way line and told to keep his passing simple. He consistently strayed out of position and his passing was poor.

I know its easy to criticize in hindsight but most commentators, pundits, newspaper columnists and armchair managers were saying something similar since the warm-up games. Still, whatever tactics the manager went with the players should have done a lot better. Its hard to know where England go from here. Very disappointing!

Pity they don't consider me for the job as I could do with the £6m wages right now

[Radyserb]

@Radyserb, I thought you were German?

no, I'm Sorbian

[Alcibaides]

Pity they don't consider me for the job as I could do with the £6m wages right now

If it was up to me, I would give you the job! At least you can speak English, which you would think would be the first requirement to manage and motivate a team of all English Players.

I don't know why they never give guys like Agbonlahore or Darren Bent a chance at the world cup.

Darren Bent always seems to excel in the season immediately prior to a World Cup, last season he was on fire (25 goals for Sunderland), and in the season prior to the 2006 world cup, he netted 22 for Charlton Athletic. I might add that it must be considerably easier to score for a team like Man Utd (Rooney) when you have some of the highest paid players in the world constantly feeding you great passes, scoring for Charlton and Sunderland is somewhat more challenging.

Darren Bent Goals:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JktGvreSsiI
(excuse the awful music)