England too, they just lost that match today xD
it fails in the last moment, at the Finals, Spain wins Brazil 
kidding, they aren't allowed to win twice.
All Eyes On The World Cup 2010...Who's Going To Win The Crown?
- uncleglennie
- Thread is marked as Resolved.
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Although I respect Huor uber - not sure what he was drinking when he posted his chart - predicting that not only would England defeat the Germans - but Argentina too?
Here is an interesting piece on the BBC website from a guy called David Bond comparing both English and German approaches to managing their national football..
Sunday's classic contest between England and Germany is not only a battle to decide who reaches the quarter-finals of this World Cup. The game in Bloemfontein also presents an opportunity to assess the ideological and cultural differences between these two great footballing rivals.
Ever since England's heartbreaking semi-final defeat by West Germany in Italy in 1990, English football has undergone a commercial revolution which has made the Premier League the richest in the world.
On the plus side, that financial success, created by the breakaway of the Premier League in 1992, has helped finance a vast improvement in the nation's stadiums, more entertaining football and allowed English clubs to become the most consistently successful in the Champions League over the last decade.
This has been thanks, in no small part, to relaxed ownership regulations that allowed new billionaire owners to buy clubs and then splash out eye-watering sums to pay foreign stars massive salaries.
But, at the same time, the English national team has gone backwards. Despite the Football Association enjoying its own substantial growth in revenues on the back of the game's television rights boom, it seems money has had a negative impact on the health of the English team.
The Germans, on the other hand, have gone from strength to strength. Although they have not won the World Cup since 1990, their rich tournament pedigree speaks volumes. They also won the 2008 Under-19 European Championships and the 2010 Under- 21 European Championships, although it is worth adding that England's Under-17 team have just won the European title.
The Bundesliga is still one of the wealthiest leagues in Europe, but it makes £500m a year less than the Premier League. Despite that, it invests £20m more in its youth academy system and its 18 clubs in 2009 made an operating profit of £146m - £66m more than the combined operating profits of the 20 Premier League clubs.
The Bundesliga's approach to financial regulation and ownership is much stricter than its English rival. While the Premier League is only now tightening its rules in the wake of Portsmouth's financial collapse, German clubs operate on the 50+1 principle - no single person or entity can own more than 49% as 51% of each club must be owned by its members.
Also, while debt levels have exploded in the English game with a combination of bank debt and so-called 'soft loans' from owners and directors contributing to a staggering total of £3.3bn according to Deloitte, German clubs owe just £30m. It must be stated here that most German clubs do not own their grounds and therefore do not have assets to borrow against (and some clubs would like these tough rules relaxed) but the difference in debt levels is striking.
The key word is sustainability and while the Premier League is just starting to understand why this is important, English football is many years behind Germany.
All very interesting, but why should the German model have any bearing on the strength of the German national team?
Answer: Because it demonstrates that the Deutscher Fussball Bund (DFB) has a far firmer control of the way the game is run than England's own FA, which long ago ceded financial control of the game to the Premier League.
A far healthier balance of power exists between the Bundesliga and the DFB, allowing them to put the wider interests of the game first - and ultimately every four years that means the German World Cup squad.
For example, German clubs must pick 12 home-grown players in their matchday squads, whereas the Premier League conforms to Uefa's rule of eight out of a 25-man squad - and even then that can mean including foreign nationals as long as they have trained for three years at a Premier League club's academy.
The German academy system educates 5,000 players between the age of 12 and 18. As a consequence, the number of German under-23-year-olds playing regularly in the Bundesliga is 15% - up from 6% a decade ago.
This is reflected in the youthful make-up of the German team here in South Africa. This is the youngest team (average age 25) they have sent to a World Cup since 1934. England by way of contrast have sent their oldest in history (28).
I asked Wolfgang Niersbach, the general secretary of the DFB, why it was that the Germany was so consistent at major tournaments.
"I wouldn't go so far as to say the German national team always comes first because during the club season the Bundesliga must come first," he said. "But what I would say is the relationship between the DFB and the League is very close and we work together. Sure, there are discussions, but in the end we always make sure the right decisions are made for the German team."
This includes a winter break - something former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson fought for during his time in charge but which was ultimately rejected due to the crammed domestic season in England. German legend Franz Beckenbauer suggested on Thursday that the lack of the break was one of the reasons why England looked "burned out" here.
Many of these structural and ideological differences may count for nothing once the two teams take to the pitch on Sunday afternoon. But should Germany triumph, they will undoubtedly form part of the inquest which follows.
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Spain wins the mighty afraided Chile
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anything wrong with the top teams this year?
so far they didnt look good on the green
ok there are exceptions but...Well, Argentina seems pretty good now....not like the past world cups.
La copa es nuestra esta vez!
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Portugal vs Spain
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(...) henceforth I cross my fingers for Germany^^
Fear not, no matter how many fingers you can cross, the only WC you gonna get this year is the Water Closet.
Go Argentina!
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OP already wrote it, A game lasts 90 minutes and in the end Germany wins. That has been proofen several times against England as well as Argentinia. I can cross 8 fingers - as more i fortunately cannot cross
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it worked
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C'mon Eng ger land - Three Lions on a Shirt - It's coming home!
yeah, they're coming home, they're coming home, they're coming...
but to be totally fair... that were 2 goals for england
every blind man (except refs) would have seen that -
I was watching the England vs Germany game today and guess what happened?
Revenge for the German team of the 1966 world cup final, when Geoff Hurst's goal was allowed, when it was clearly not a goal, and the germans lost the cup.
I must say I just stopped crying over England's loss, but the young german team was truly inspired in their play, and will definitely give Argentina a run for their money.
Now who should I cheer for?
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Yeah, 44 years must have been passed so we get our revenge. Sorry England - even the Wembley goal would not have been enough
Here something for you: I feel with you...
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Ok – after the event – let us look back at recent events.
The squad
It is obvious that once a position of strength, the GK position in England is weak and there was no obvious candidate to be the number one keeper – the top English clubs do not have an English keeper starting for them and David James (Calamity James) has often been inconsistent his entire career and he played for Portsmouth last season (they got relegated) and he ended up paying for some of the clubs employees. Ie No one was bothered to pay the England keeper last year to play keeper!
Defence – also no longer a strength – J Terry has lost a lot of pace and after injuries to Rio Ferdinand – the English played Carragher (retired from international football for a number of years), or Upson who played for a very poor West Ham, who were nearly relegated. Maybe Dawson would have been a better choice. Ledley King predictably got injured and could not play at all.
Fabio took a number of injured players to the tournament – too many – he could have gambled on 1-2 but too many players were injured and the risk backfired.
Tactics
Width is important and Fabio should have played a left sided player on the LHS – he did not and England suffered as S Gerrard came in too many times and left A Cole (best player imo) isolated and without any protection. He played Heskey but should have gone with a Crouch/ Rooney combination – or maybe even Crouch/Defoe combo as Rooney was obviously unfit or out of form.
Taking two pacey wingers in Lennon and Wright-Phillips - he did not play them much.
What you lose in holding up the ball from Heskey to Crouch you gain 100 fold in a better goal scoring record.
Motivation
Despite all that – England qualified top of their group playing for Fabio and beat teams of Algeria and USA’s quality.
So – I can’t explain the abject performance from England in all the games and for this I blame the players – some games it looked like they were not even trying – no energy, no pride, no teamwork –
I got hints of unrest in the dressing room, David James being sarcastic about the manager - J Terry suggesting the players need to talk to Fabio
The poor players missing their wives and girlfriends..
25 mins to go and 9 (yes NINE) English players go ahead of the ball for a free kick?
It was quite funny also that the BBC going on about penalties for about 30 mins before the game and the game did not even get to penalties.
Well done Germany - played well in all the games even in that defeat and looking young and positive team.
Az
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Az...you hit the nail right on the head
I agree...
England has had and still has the weakest GK position in international football, even the African GK's played above their pay grade.
England was uninspired in their play and fragmented as a team.
Key players were tired and the team looked old.
The coach Capello could have done so much more with the players he had, but he didn't even try to find the right combo.
This was the worse display of english football I've seen in my lifetime.
Right now the South American teams look really good to take the top prize.
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Some teams lost before even starting the championship. By attitude
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Deep down I would love to see a...Netherlands vs Germany game
It would be a rematch of 1974 and the media would have a field day with it.
The question is, "Is Ghana strong enough to make the finals?".
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dont cry for me argentina
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Germany Wins! 4-0 over Argentina..
Semi-finals.. Here We Come! -
always a good Teamspirit is wining the matches now!
Cool Matches, good soccer all around.
