SoccerNews Issue # 04, June 27th 2014 Continental/Division Reifen Alexander Bahlmann Telefon: +49 511 938-2615 Leiter Presse- & Öffentlichkeitsarbeit Pkw-Reifen E-Mail: [email protected] Büttnerstraße 25 | 30165 Hannover www.contisoccerworld.de SoccerNews # 04/2014 2 World Cup insight Recife. The German internationals remained focussed, and well. He is a strategist, who controls the game, sets the rhythm. didn’t want to accept praise for winning their group. “As the Ger- It’s good for us that somebody has that control. If he takes over man national team we have met our obligations. It would have a leading role, it has always been good for us”. Philipp Lahm’s been a disgrace if we hadn’t reached the second round”, said if-but praise for his long-time companion: “He has always been Road to final planned, Manuel Neuer. The 1-0 (0-0) win over the USA in tropical rain an important player. He is a great character.” Jerome Boateng in Recife should have been simply the start for the major ob- listed the qualities of the vice-captain: “Basti has a very good but Schweinsteiger stacles to follow in the coming two weeks. USA coach Juergen technique, is extremely sure on the ball, can change the side, Klinsmann told the German players before their return to Cam- and is strong in tackles”. po Bahia that the World Cup finals really get going with the start causes conflict of the knock-out stage. They remain among the top favourites Kroos gave the impression that he rather prefers the exclusively because they had dominated the toughest World Cup group. Bavarian midfield triangle over one with Khedira: “We have The players debate whether it should be him, “From the second round onwards each game is a final”, said often played together with Philipp with Bayern. We harmonise Neuer, indicating that the first final will take place against Alge- very well, and that could be seen”. Dortmund’s Mats Hummels or whether Khedira should be given a break ria in Porto Seguro on Monday (22:00hrs CEST). The match remained neutral on the question of Khedira or Schweinsteiger: against the USA, who also qualified for the next round despite “If I now say something for the one or the other, it can be taken their defeat, was proof that the German team have mastered as against the other”. Per Mertesacker outed himself as a their defence and appeared more focussed than during the Schweinsteiger fan, who needed help, however, to re-qualify as previous 2-2 draw with Ghana, and 4-4 with Sweden in the ear- a regular: “He is enormously important. He does a lot for us, but lier qualification. This “basic compactness”, as Mats Hummels also knows that we are there for him”. described the team work in defence, has been intensively con- solidated in practice. And the “kick in” against opponents, plus The players often debate at Campo Bahia, including the line-up the aggressive, quick disruption of them during the build-up to variations, with some still preferring Lahm as a defender rather their game, had been practised to exhaustion. This worked like than in the defensive midfield. But Loew has made his strategy a charm, even with Benedikt Hoewedes, whose deficiencies in crystal clear, and in many ways has built his team around his the unfamiliar left defending position showed. captain, and the defence with four central defenders can also be led back to Loew’s strategy concerning the no. 6 position. The players will discuss how they can continue with their best, Now they face their next tasks -- to improve creativity and elimi- but now rare performances, in the bar at their camp base, deco- nate ineffective play, which means making more of their many rated with past German football heroes. That’s where they also scoring opportunities. Only Thomas Mueller stands out in that debate the guidelines demanded by national coach Joachim discipline. “I indeed scored a great goal for once”, he said of his Loew. One of the most important observations from Recife was long-range shot that secured the team’s second World Cup win. that Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was in the starting eleven for the first time, convinced his team-mates he was back to his best. With top position in Group G the possible schedule until July He is now fighting for a regular place, but apparently Loew still 13 has been defined. After the second-round match their op- has Sami Khedira in his planning as first choice for their posi- ponents in the quarter-finals next Friday in Rio de Janeiro would tion. “Schweinsteiger was very good, as long as his strength last- be either France or Nigeria; in the semi-finals in Belo Horizonte ed”, said Loew, but added: “It was the right time to grant Khedira Loew’s debating club would face a team from the strong South a break”. This wording clearly indicates that the non-nomination American quartet Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Uruguay. The most of the Real Madrid professional was only temporary. It is pos- probable opponents in the final in Rio could be the Netherlands sible that from this a conflict could arise between the coach or Argentina. But Kroos reminded of another component to Bastian Schweinsteiger returned to the starting eleven of the German and some players. The Bayern Munich faction is closing ranks, the question of improvements. “First of all we have to win four national team, replacing Sami Khedira, for the 1-0 win over the USA. including Schweinsteiger, for five players from the “double” matches”, he said. Only then the dream of winning the World (Photo: Firo/Augenklick) champions provide the bulk of the DFB team. “He performed Cup title would have come true. SoccerNews # 04/2014 3 Boom’s Brazil No more biting jokes! “Uruguay have got their teeth into the next round.” Ho, ho, and again, ho. A nine-game ban for Luis Suárez? They should add an- other nine, says our writer, for unleashing a global torrent of bad jokes. Football fans everywhere simply can’t take another on- slaught of terrible biting, chewing, vampire and cannibal puns. by Freddy Boom And the prize question is: Which national teams are on their way home now the group stage is over? Answer A: England, Spain and Italy. Answer B: Italy, Spain and England. Answer C: Portugal. Answer D: Ronaldo. Please shout the correct answer British humor: The Sun’s title page shows Wayne out of your nearest available window now and you could win Rooney’s son Kai upset after England’s defeat to an exclusive trip to the next World Cup in Russia by inflatable Uruguay – and that distinctively English mix of weary dinghy. Please note that charges applied by mobile operators irony and unquenchable optimism. Sadly, things may vary. Yes, dear readers, to put it another way, the group didn’t quite go to plan. Photo: The Sun stage is over. Over and out for some teams – among them Adios, Luis Suárez. No Golden Boot this time – just the golden tooth, maybe, for the craziest Spain, Italy, England and Portugaldo. But how could it have foul in the World Cup. Photo: Getty. come to this? Is this the decline and fall of football civilization as we know it? For anyone seeking the Western World – head What else is there to say about the group stage? First, of and days after the Suárez incident there followed a veritable for Atlantis, take a downward turn and keep on going down. course, the ban imposed on Luis Suárez. The first jokes – the tsunami of mediocre biting puns, the sheer volume of them The world is no longer what it was two weeks ago. genuine, spur-of-the-moment ones – still had an element of drowning out any residual glimmer of humor in the whole humor about them. “Why does he do it?” asked Germany’s affair. And the giant wave of vampire, cannibal, shark, snacking Luckily there are the Greeks. Hellas in the round of 16! Clearly former goalkeeper and current TV pundit Oliver Kahn, who and chewing jokes is only gradually ebbing away from the active what we need now is a Greek protective shield for the Euro- really ought to know if anyone does, having bitten the neck vocabulary of the international football reporting community. footy-zone. England, Italy, Spain and Portugal simply amalgam- of opponent Heiko Herrlich of Borussia Dortmund while play- If you ask me, Luis Suárez deserves another nine games on ate their debts – or their group stage points – thus preventing ing for Bayern Munich. On the other side of the table was his ban simply for his part in creating a global linguistic catas- sporting bankruptcy and – under a Greek protectorate – are football presenter and satire show host Oliver Welke, and the trophe. According to FIFA rules he could have been banned accepted into the knock-out rounds after all. Which is how return pass came sharp and fast: “Maybe you can get a taste for two years. I reckon he should have been. I’m fed up to the Europe works, isn’t it? for this kind of thing?” said Welke with a wink, “but it was only back teeth with all these puns! a nibble”. All this was entertaining enough. Yet in the hours SoccerNews # 04/2014 4 Quotes of the day An angel who Our marriage There are things that turns into a would have ended happen on the pitch demon on the long ago if he and you shouldn’t pitch.