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Germany!!; any fans?!
Topic Started: Jan 7 2008, 02:15 PM (1,935 Views)
Lep
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:lol: It'll be worth it though!! Imagine how much you could tease him if Germany win!! :lol:


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Struggling at Bayern, heroes in the Germany shirt - the strange world of Schweini and Poldi

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After Germany had beaten Turkey in Basle in their semi-final on Wednesday night, Lukas Podolski and Bastian Schweinsteiger hugged each other endlessly, just like before. From the edge of the pitch, Podolski sang the battle cry of the German fans and Schweinsteiger waved his cowboy hat in the national colours of black, red and gold. It looked just like the good old days: but appearances can be deceptive.

Two years ago, Podolski and Schweinsteiger had been the unsung heroes of Sönke Wortmann's film, Germany, A Summer's Fairytale, which gave an insight into the German team at the World Cup they hosted. Even those who are barely interested in football watched the film in the cinema or later on TV.

Wortmann's film showed the background to what was happening on the pitch. Schweini and Poldi embodied the youth, the freshness, the imperfections and the jokes inside the squad. They behaved like little rascals from a 1950s film; their pranks were harmless, their jokes hurt nobody.

We thought back then that Schweini and Poldi were friends. They certainly became a brand, a little like Laurel and Hardy, but when the World Cup was over, they missed the return journey from the fairytale back to reality. Their club football suffered.

You could understand why. After the World Cup, Schweinsteiger went back to his home town of Oberaudorf, which has fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. He was met by a brass band when he climbed the stage at his reception. The mayor made a copy of his footprint, in order to make a bronze cast and display it outside the town hall.

Podolski moved to Munich after the World Cup, joining Bayern - for whom Schweini plays - from FC Cologne, whose relegation he had not been able to prevent. He was supposed to become the star of the future. But soon, darkness fell on Poldi and Schweini.

They were not the only ones responsible for the misery that was to come, but in the post-World Cup season, Bayern failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in living memory. The directors were livid, even with Schweinsteiger.

'Too many people have blown sugar up his arse since the World Cup. I want to punch him,' said Bayern's sporting director Uli Hoeness. Because Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Hoeness were fed up with a side that was supposedly the team of the future, they went and bought one for the present.

So Schweinsteiger's friends were sold and direct replacements arrived in place of Owen Hargreaves, Claudio Pizarro and Roy Makaay. Franck Ribéry took Schweinsteiger's place in left midfield, where Podolski could also play. Luca Toni was sure of one of the two strikers' places, Miroslav Klose the other. Schweinsteiger had to move over to right midfield, where he was not comfortable. Podolski had to move to the subs' bench.

Slowly it became clear that there had never been such a thing as 'Schweini and Poldi'. Although they were both at the same club, they hardly spent any time with each other. Their lives could not have been more different. On the home page of Bayern's website Podolski named 'family' as his hobby. Schweinsteiger said he liked to 'meet friends and experience new things'. Recently Podolski became a father for the first time. Schweinsteiger is still some way from starting a family.

Schweini's girlfriend, Sarah Brandner, is 19 and a model. She is pretty and blonde and the most watched Wag, according to an agency that follows all German newspaper reports on these things. Above all, Schweinsteiger admires her for leading a different sort of life. Sarah broadens his horizons, he says. She has lived in Milan, was in New York and has taken him to Paris. Her best friends are gay and her world more open than that of a boy from the sticks. Schweinsteiger has engraved the date they met on his boots. His car number plate also has the date and bears the abbreviation SB for Sarah and Basti.

Podolski does not give the impression that he wants to broaden his horizons. He probably would have preferred not to grow up. The newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung wrote about him recently: 'He is 23 years old but behaves sometimes like a child who has been allowed by his parents to stay up too late.'

Given that, he can defend himself better than Schweinsteiger when it comes to his club. During this European Championship he said in a newspaper interview: 'I've never felt as if Bayern have faith in me. And now I don't want their faith.' The numbers speak for themselves. Podolski has scored nine goals in 47 Bundesliga games, and 28 in 53 games for Germany. The difference is startling.

It is similar with Schweinsteiger, as he gets on better with the national team than his club. But he does not criticise Bayern, the only club he has played for. Die Zeit wrote: 'When he talks about Bayern, the club where he has been since the age of 14, it sounds sometimes as if he's talking about over-protective parents.'

During this tournament, Schweinsteiger called the national team, 'my second family'. Podolski has not said that, but it is like that for him,national team is their club. In tonight's final, Podolski will win his 54th cap, Schweinsteiger his 56th. Both are 23 years old. If they keep it up, they could destroy Lothar Matthäus's record of 150 games for Germany.

The national team try to find ways that really help them. Hans-Dieter Hermann, the team psychologist, has told Schweinsteiger his greatest strength is his instinct, his biggest weakness his concentration. At kick-off in the semi-final against Turkey you could see that. Klose hit the ball to Michael Ballack, who stepped back to hit it wide to Schweinsteiger on the right wing. But the game had not started for him yet. He turned out to be the best player that night, however. He was also the best against Portugal, after having been taken off against Croatia in the group game.

Schweinsteiger scored against Portugal and Turkey, both times after Podolski had set him up. 'I've always believed when Schweini is moving and running then he is full of danger near the goal,' says Joachim Löw, Germany's coach. It is scarcely imaginable that he would have this role at Bayern. In the demanding world of the Champions League, his lack of defensive ability and lack of tactical understanding would be quickly punished.

But he has persuaded himself he can play convincingly down the right. And when it does not work, there is always the national team.


Awww :( I didn't realize it was that bad, I hope they do move now they are good!
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lilcookie
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Here is my rant for the freaking month but I"ll start with the positive shit first by congratulating Spain in their 1-0 win, I'm alright with it, but I'm not happy. :'(

I have to congratulate GERMANY for playing their hearts out. Even though it wasn't that convincing performance. I must say Ifeel sorry for the players that collided with Spanish players. Most specifically Michael Ballack who nearly looked like he was bleeding to death and for being a loser four times in his life in big tournaments, 02', 06', 08' and CL final. Miroslav Klose getting hit in the groin (OUCH).
Although even if my beloved team lost, I still love the crap out of them and I am proud that they kept the scoreline 1-0 instead of losing 2-0 or 3-0 or whatever if could get to, This was clearly Spains tourney at the start, and it wasn't Germanys moment this year.

Here is to my excuses, Germany had to travel to Vienna from Base', whereas Spain had the advantage of staying in Vienna prior the final. Therefore a bit of jet lag and they did look quite tired on field, were slower compared to their other games.
NOW THAT DOES NOT COMPENSATE WITH A GOALKEEPING ERROR. WHILE I CAN QUESTION THE DEFENCE OF THE GERMAN TEAM BECAUSE THEY WERE FECKING HORRIble, ALL I CAN SAY FOR NOW IS:
NOT HAPPY JENS.
Actually no. There ARE MORE THINGS I can say about this git of a goalkeeper!
For one, GOALKEEPING ERROR! IT COULD BE HELPED IF YOU STAYED IN YOUR AREA, AND DID NOT RUN TOWARDS TORRES!
SECONDLY, WHATEVER INSENSITIVE COMMENT OLIVER KAHN CALLED YOU IN THE PAST, YOU DESERVED THAT.
THIRDLY, YOU'LL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS OLIVER KAHN, AND CERTAINLY ARE NOT ONE OF THE BEST GOALKEEPERS IN GERMANY, YOU DON'T DESERVE THAT TITLE AND IT'S NO WONDER THAT ARSENE BENCHED YOU FOR HALF A SEASON.

AS FOR SPAIN, I HATE TORRES FOR A DAY EVEN THOUGH HE IS A HOT LOOKING LAD, HE'S MADE ME AN UNHAPPY LASSIE!

Edited by lilcookie, Jun 30 2008, 11:44 AM.
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laloca69
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Don't be too upset lilcookie. Germany has a bright future and have some good young players like Marin, Kroos, Hilbert, Fischer etc. I think Germany's main problem in the game was the midfield. Lahm and Lehmann did mess up but the midfield didn't create anything.

Now Metzelder can shave the beard lol. I don't think he looked too bad with it though.
Edited by laloca69, Jun 30 2008, 03:12 AM.
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lilcookie
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laloca69
Jun 30 2008, 03:10 AM
Don't be too upset lilcookie. Germany has a bright future and have some good young players like Marin, Kroos, Hilbert, Fischer etc. I think Germany's main problem in the game was the midfield. Lahm and Lehmann did mess up but the midfield didn't create anything.

Now Metzelder can shave the beard lol. I don't think he looked too bad with it though

They left too many space for the Spanairds and were not marking the players. Spain did a great job marking the Germans.
And are you kidding, Metzelder looked like a skinny Lumberjack with a beard. Olof Mellberg also reminds me of a lumberjack xD.
Lahm did very well in the starting 30 minutes of the game, but I think the Spanish were quick to notice that he was making great passes to team mates in the first half, then they shut him down, after that goal.
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Lep
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haha! Check out Schweini with bier! B)

Laloca69- You're right! They have got some great young players, and a lot of the squad are actually younger than most people think, I still feel for them.

thanks for the photos Vik! Where did you get them from?

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I felt bad for Ballack, Frings, and :ph4: Klose but I dont think Germany played good enough to win.


Sorry lilcookie, i feel for you too :(
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lilcookie
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I'm quite over it and look at it and laugh , I'm not bitter anymore, I quite like Spain so its ok, but if it was Turkey I would of done nuts. Germany has won the Euro three times , the third being a unified Germany, so thats ok. Now I think its time for them to win a World Cup as a unified country.

It's just sad though, for seven years I've seen them, I've seen Ballack (I even remember Ballack sitting out in 02' my gawd he looked young), Klose ( and all the goals he scored were headers), Frings grow older and its hard for me, I doubt they'd make it to the next world cup, new players will take their places.
Its like Brazil, even though people love to hate the Brazilian team, Its hard to see the likes of Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos , Rivaldo, Ronaldinho etc go, because they played when you were young and the players of that generation were the ones that captivated you. I'm just a person that can't adapt to change quickly and I'm getting older.



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laloca69
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Yea I understand how you feel lilcookie. Players like Ballack, Frings, Klose definately deserved to win an international tournament and it will be weird not seeing those players anymore same with the other big teams like the Brazilian and Italian team who also had great players. The next generation of players for Germany looks good though and Germany is like always in the Semis or Finals so no need to worry lol.
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lilcookie
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laloca69
Jul 1 2008, 03:34 AM
Yea I understand how you feel lilcookie. Players like Ballack, Frings, Klose definately deserved to win an international tournament and it will be weird not seeing those players anymore same with the other big teams like the Brazilian and Italian team who also had great players. The next generation of players for Germany looks good though and Germany is like always in the Semis or Finals so no need to worry lol.
yeah, but it sucks because I'm not 12 anymore xD, the next batch of players are talented, but its not the generation that got me interested.

Its like Man Utd, they play great football, even if I dislike Man Utd, I prefer the days when Beckham played with the club.
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lilcookie
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To be off topic but still Germany related.
I always think about goal celebrations, I really want them to celebrate and do one of those Traditional German dances. It'll be really funny. :lol: :lol:
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thatgooner
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If it weren't for Lehmann, Spain would've won by a margin of 3-0 instead of just 1-0.
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Lep
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Yeah, Germany were lucky to Lehmann by the way Mertesacker & Metzelder were playing. Seriously, I swear they were good in 2006!! Mertesacker was terrible at passing, and Metzelder would run up the pitch, and then be to slow to get back!! :unsure:

haha, do you mean like this> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-XyrwdLTCI&feature=related
:lol: My dad does that when he's drunk! B)
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