THEY have waited 24 years for that fourth star and how Germany would love to end that wait while becoming the first European team to win the World Cup on South American soil.
After building up steam in the heat and humidity of the north they will now gleefully head south for a second-round meeting with Algeria.
The highest-ranked team remaining in the tournament stayed cool negotiating the group stages and their rivals should be concerned by the scope for improvement as Joachim Low’s side return to conditions close to their natural climate.
After enduring the worst extremes a Brazilian winter has to offer Germany’s next game is in southerly Porto Alegre. A run to the final would then include two matches in Rio de Janeiro and one in Belo Horizonte. Germany’s long, hot summer is over after 11 days.
They did not enjoy a 100% record like rivals the Netherlands, Colombia, Belgium and Argentina but by fighting back to draw with Ghana in a stifling Fortaleza, Germany proved something to themselves and others.
Per Mertesaker believes he and his team-mates are well set for the trials of the knockout stages after a Group G run that began with an impressive 4-0 win over Portugal and concluded yesterday with a narrow, if comfortable, victory over the United States.
“We had three completely different games where we suffered a bit, particularly in the second, where we had to come through that. It was a real mental test where we suffered and struggled a bit.
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“That was a big test for us and it was good for us to come back and get a draw in that second game,” said the Arsenal defender of last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Ghana.
Mertesacker revealed yesterday how the Germany team left their hotel in Recife an hour earlier than scheduled due to the torrential rain that caused widespread flooding and delayed the arrival of many fans to Arena Pernambuco. However once the transport issues had been negotiated Mertesacker and his team-mates felt at home in the rain.
“We played in the north and had really tough conditions. Today was a bit different and I think that was a big advantage with the better conditions for us. More English weather like. It was humid but not too much,” said the 29-year-old defender, whose header was saved by Tim Howard in the build-up to Thomas Muller’s winning goal.
However a near impeccable defensive performance was almost spoiled in the final moments of added time when both Alejandro Bedoya and Clint Dempsey had chances to equalise for the United States.
As Mertesacker pointed out, the key to a European success on South American soil will be performing for 90 minutes. Italy, England and Croatia have been eliminated following second-half collapses. Italy and England both fell foul to late Uruguay winners, while Croatia were twice the victims of South American sucker-punches, against Brazil and Mexico.
“The teams, not with the best players, but with the best character and best team performances, are from South America obviously,” said Mertesacker.
“Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, these kind of those teams. Great team performances, always. Giving absolutely everything in every second and over 90 minutes — if you can’t cope with that you are out straight away.
“I think the European teams showed for 60-70 minutes they made a good job during that time, but that is not enough.”
German fans in Recife yesterday. EMPICS Sport
EMPICS Sport
Their great rivals the Netherlands may have won more points in their three matches but Germany look the European team best equipped to challenge the “local” favourites. A possible quarter-final against France at the Maracana will be pivotal but the depth of Low’s squad and the potential for improvement in some of his key performers makes Germany a very dangerous knock-out competitor.
On his return to the starting 11, in place of Sami Khedira, Sebastian Schweinsteiger looked like he had never left. No other team has the luxury of being able to spring Miroslav Klose, the joint-highest goal-scorer in World Cup history, from the bench to support reigning Golden Boot holder Muller, who has already scored four goals this time out.
Manuel Neuer highlighted the importance of his Bayern Munich team-mate, who was absent for Germany’s last two tournament defeats, in the semi-finals of Euro 2012 and four years ago in South Africa.
“Muller put in a good performance, he can play in two or three positions. He’s very flexible and I think he is at the top level,” said the goalkeeper.
“Two times in semi-finals he has not played, against Spain and against Italy, and we lose the games when he wasn’t on the pitch. Hopefully he will be on the pitch for us the next day.”
The United States head to Salvador to take on another fancied European team, Belgium, but having escaped the “Group of Death” Clint Dempsey believes anything is possible.
“Everything is fresh again. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the group stages it is about what you are going to do on that day,” said the former Fulham attacker.
“We came up a little bit short in 2010, losing in overtime to Ghana but we look forward to the challenge.”
The United States are entering bonus territory, for Germany the real business starts here.
Germany handle the heat of group stage as Low hopes for improvement
Mikey Stafford reports from Recife
THEY have waited 24 years for that fourth star and how Germany would love to end that wait while becoming the first European team to win the World Cup on South American soil.
After building up steam in the heat and humidity of the north they will now gleefully head south for a second-round meeting with Algeria.
The highest-ranked team remaining in the tournament stayed cool negotiating the group stages and their rivals should be concerned by the scope for improvement as Joachim Low’s side return to conditions close to their natural climate.
After enduring the worst extremes a Brazilian winter has to offer Germany’s next game is in southerly Porto Alegre. A run to the final would then include two matches in Rio de Janeiro and one in Belo Horizonte. Germany’s long, hot summer is over after 11 days.
They did not enjoy a 100% record like rivals the Netherlands, Colombia, Belgium and Argentina but by fighting back to draw with Ghana in a stifling Fortaleza, Germany proved something to themselves and others.
Per Mertesaker believes he and his team-mates are well set for the trials of the knockout stages after a Group G run that began with an impressive 4-0 win over Portugal and concluded yesterday with a narrow, if comfortable, victory over the United States.
“That was a big test for us and it was good for us to come back and get a draw in that second game,” said the Arsenal defender of last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Ghana.
Mertesacker revealed yesterday how the Germany team left their hotel in Recife an hour earlier than scheduled due to the torrential rain that caused widespread flooding and delayed the arrival of many fans to Arena Pernambuco. However once the transport issues had been negotiated Mertesacker and his team-mates felt at home in the rain.
“We played in the north and had really tough conditions. Today was a bit different and I think that was a big advantage with the better conditions for us. More English weather like. It was humid but not too much,” said the 29-year-old defender, whose header was saved by Tim Howard in the build-up to Thomas Muller’s winning goal.
However a near impeccable defensive performance was almost spoiled in the final moments of added time when both Alejandro Bedoya and Clint Dempsey had chances to equalise for the United States.
As Mertesacker pointed out, the key to a European success on South American soil will be performing for 90 minutes. Italy, England and Croatia have been eliminated following second-half collapses. Italy and England both fell foul to late Uruguay winners, while Croatia were twice the victims of South American sucker-punches, against Brazil and Mexico.
“The teams, not with the best players, but with the best character and best team performances, are from South America obviously,” said Mertesacker.
“Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, these kind of those teams. Great team performances, always. Giving absolutely everything in every second and over 90 minutes — if you can’t cope with that you are out straight away.
“I think the European teams showed for 60-70 minutes they made a good job during that time, but that is not enough.”
Their great rivals the Netherlands may have won more points in their three matches but Germany look the European team best equipped to challenge the “local” favourites. A possible quarter-final against France at the Maracana will be pivotal but the depth of Low’s squad and the potential for improvement in some of his key performers makes Germany a very dangerous knock-out competitor.
On his return to the starting 11, in place of Sami Khedira, Sebastian Schweinsteiger looked like he had never left. No other team has the luxury of being able to spring Miroslav Klose, the joint-highest goal-scorer in World Cup history, from the bench to support reigning Golden Boot holder Muller, who has already scored four goals this time out.
Manuel Neuer highlighted the importance of his Bayern Munich team-mate, who was absent for Germany’s last two tournament defeats, in the semi-finals of Euro 2012 and four years ago in South Africa.
“Muller put in a good performance, he can play in two or three positions. He’s very flexible and I think he is at the top level,” said the goalkeeper.
The United States head to Salvador to take on another fancied European team, Belgium, but having escaped the “Group of Death” Clint Dempsey believes anything is possible.
“Everything is fresh again. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the group stages it is about what you are going to do on that day,” said the former Fulham attacker.
“We came up a little bit short in 2010, losing in overtime to Ghana but we look forward to the challenge.”
The United States are entering bonus territory, for Germany the real business starts here.
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