Team: GERMANY

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Löw zögert beim Lehmann-Stellvertreter - Enke und Adler im Rennen - transfermarkt.de

Löw will make his decision over the no.2 goalkeeper soon. Robert Enke and Rene Adler are in race.

Enke's advantage is that he has at least one appearance with the NT, while Adler hasn't.

But, Adler's advantage is that he's been named the best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga, and is surely the best German goalie at the moment.

I'd love to see Adler sitting in bench, instead of Enke. In fact, I'd love to see Adler starting, but Löw certainly doesn't even want to think about that.

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Schweinsteiger could lose place for Germany's opener

Ascona, Switzerland - Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger may be dropped for Germany's opening match of Euro 2008 against Poland on Sunday. Schweinsteiger had "not reached his absolute best form," coach Joachim Loew said Thursday.

Loew indicated the Bayern Munich player, who had started in all four of Germany's matches this year, would be among the substitutes for the Group B game in Klagenfurt, Austria.

Schweinsteiger, capped 51 times for Germany, had been working hard in training and will "still be important for us" in the tournament, he said.

Loew is believed to be considering playing striker Lukas Podolski on the left of midfield, a position he has filled successfully in recent internationals.

"Lukas is basically a striker but he has shown that he can make a mark on the left," Loew said.

The striker positions look like going to Bayern Munich team-mate Miroslav Klose and VfB Stuttgart's Mario Gomez.

With Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings in central midfield, a place is still believed to be open on the right where Werder Bremen's Clemens Fritz and Tim Borowski, who is moving from Werder to Bayern next season, are candidates.

Germany have never lost to Poland in 15 matches going back to 1933 but Loew warned that Sunday's game would be a tense affair.

"The Polish team have made progress under Leo Beenhakker and will demand everything of us on Sunday," he said.

Schweinsteiger could lose place for Germany's opener : Sports

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Awesome!

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Ballack Can Win It For Germany - Bierhoff

Former Germany striker and now team manager Oliver Bierhoff believes Michael Ballack is capable of leading the current side to the same glory achieved in 1996...

Germany picked up their last major international honour in England 12 years ago, famously beating the hosts on penalty kicks in the semi-finals before taking care of underdogs the Czech Republic in the final.

Despite since managing a World Cup final in 2002, semi-final in 2006 and slightly less quarterfinal in 1998, Germany have not won a single game in the European Championships in the intervening period.

Indeed, the most successful club in the history of the competition crashed out in the group stages of both Euro 2000 and 2004, but Bierhoff believes Ballack can be the difference this time around, particularly due to his red-hot form for Chelsea towards the end of the season, that saw them come within a whisker of both the Premier League and the Champions League, only for Manchester United to grab both honours.

"Ballack has all the qualities you need [to be the most valuable player] and could grace the stage of such a big tournament," said Bierhoff, who played no small part in Germany's last win in the competition, scoring both goals in the 1996 final.

"He sees the chance to win a title, something that he missed out on over the last few weeks."

Goal.com - Euro 2008 - Ballack Can Win It For Germany - Bierhoff

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Frings Confident Of Fitness

Despite an injury-plagued club campaign, Germany midfielder Torsten Frings is confident that he will be fresh and ready for tomorrow’s Group B clash with Poland.

Werder Bremen midfielder Frings only managed 11 appearances in the Bundesliga last season, but suggests that reduced domestic schedules may ultimately give his side an advantage over more jaded opponents at Euro 2008.

Both Christophe Metzelder and Michael Ballack have also missed large chunks of their respective seasons through injury, for Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively. Frings believes that his team-mates’ extra rests may stand as an advantage through a potentially long tournament.

He said: "Many of us have been injured this season and we will see if it's an advantage to be fresher having had those forced breaks."

Frings has played 72 times for his nation and found the net ten times and is convinced that when fit, he is a key player for the side.

He said: "I feel in good form, I am physically fresh. This season physically I trained very harder than ever."

"I know if I am on form I will be in the German team. This season I didn't have much luck with injuries but it was clear once I put together a run of games at the end of the campaign that I would be ready."

Goal.com - Euro 2008 - Frings Confident Of Fitness

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Ballack: Premiership Influence Will Help Me

Germany captain Michael Ballack feels that his Premiership experience will give him the edge on his Euro 2008 rivals...

Germany skipper Michael Ballack might have missed out on double glory with Chelsea this season, but the Germany skipper feels his experiences in the Premiership will stand his in good stead for the Euros.

Joachim Low's side are among the favourites for the summer crown and the midfielder hopes two years in the "strong" Premier League will help him to erase the season's woes with international glory.

Ballack said: "I'm happy to be playing in such a strong league which puts you under pressure.

"Great football is played there and I think everybody takes that with them into the national team.

"The Premier League has certainly improved me as a footballer and I have received a lot of praise in the last few weeks.

"After my injury I found some form and I'm happy to be playing in such a strong league, which demands so much from you and puts you under pressure every weekend."

Goal.com - Euro 2008 - Ballack: Premiership Influence Will Help Me

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Beckenbauer sees "real title chance"

Bayern and Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer believes that the DFB team could be capable of mounting a real challenge at the EURO 2008.

"Yes, we do have a real title chance. Maybe we're not the top favourites at the EURO. But I agree with former German national team coach Helmut Schön who always told the players: we will be tough to beat", the FC Bayern president wrote in the German "Bild" paper.

"Brave experiment"

One reason for Beckenbauer's optimism is the good form of skipper Michael Ballack. "He completely convinced me in the 2-1 win over Serbia. I saw a real captain who dictated the tempo of the game and the team's rhythm", the "Kaiser" said ahead of Germany's first game against Poland (Sunday, 20:45) in Klagenfurt / Austria.

Beckenbauer sees a possible German line-up with striker Lukas Podolski on the left side of midfield as a "brave experiment", but also as "a clear signal that Germany want to win their opening game".

Beckenbauer believes in "classic football nation"

Beckenbauer doesn't believe that another underdog will follow in the footsteps of 2004 surprise winners Greece, coached by Otto Rehhagel, but in a "classic football nation. Italy are my top favourite even with captain Cannavaro out injured. France or Holland, because only one of them will survive in the group of death. And then Spain or Germany, of course."

Beckenbauer, who lives in Austria, also had words of encouragement for co-hosts Austria. "A few months ago our neighbours were complaining about their poor national team, now they're talking about the quarter-finals. The home advantage can move mountains! And they've got enough mountains in Austria..."

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Fußball - EM2008 - Enke ist Deutschlands Nummer zwei - SPORT BILD

Goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke has confirmed that Robert Enke has won the race for the no.2 goalkeeper spot.

There will be a new hierarchy after the Euro though. Adler is being tipped to become the no.1, with Enke staying as no.2. That remains to be seen though, still early.

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"The team has found its own identity"

Attitutde, motivation and euphoria are what they should be. DFB team manager Oliver Bierhoff was in upbeat mood when he faced the press.

Question: How do you rate the first match against Poland?

Oliver Bierhoff: The way we played was encouraging. Joy and relief were very big. But we have to put the match behind us quickly, we have a difficult game against Croatia coming up.

Question: Up to 26 million Germans watched the match on TV. What do you say about the euphoria?

Bierhoff: That's more than you could expect for the first match. It speaks for the status of the national team and the bond between team and fans. There have already been motorcades in Germany. That has to be additional inspiration for the players, who know exactly that they have made a first step only.

Question: Inside the stadium one got the impression that it was an away match for Germany, with more Poles than Germans inside the arena. Do you expect a similar atmosphere against Croatia?

Bierhoff: I'm not responsible for the distribution of tickets and can't explain why more Poles than Germans were inside the stadium. But I didn't get the feeling of an away match, our fans supported us magnificiently. If it was the case it didn't effect the team. We have already celebrated important victories away to Slovakia and the Czechs in qualifying, that's why I'm not worried regarding the Croatia match.

Question: Germany have won their first Euro match since 1996. How important was that for German football?

Bierhoff: We're delighted to have lifted that curse. We won the first game at the EURO 1996 2-0 as well, that may be a good sign. The win also confirms our whole strategy, which had partly been critically scrutinised. Everything went like clockwork and perfect so far. All 23 players are still 100% fit, which speaks for itself. The foundation and the volume of our fitness will pay off over the course of the tournament. The problems we temporarily had against Poland were a question of mind.

Question: What's the difference between today's team and the EURO 1996 winners that won the last major title for Germany, with you scoring a brace in the final?

Bierhoff: Possibly there's more hunger and curiosity for a title. The team has found its own identity. In 1996 we had a very experienced team with players who had been involved in the 1990 World Cup title and gathered experience from playing abroad. That team surely had a very big identity, too, but it's hard to compare these teams. Back then we were a great unit, just as we are today.

Question: Lukas Podolski chose not to celebrate after his goals. How do you rate his reaction?

Bierhoff: Lukas still has a very strong link to his home country, and I can understand his decison not to celebrate. The important thing for us was that he scored the goals and not how he celebrated.

Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite

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Löw: Frings And Ballack Key

Germany manager Joachim Löw has identified that his midfield pairing of Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings are the key to the success of his side at Euro 2008.

Germany play Croatia here on Thursday with both sides on a high following opening victories against Poland and co-hosts Austria respectively.

Both teams are aware that a victory could secure their passage to the quarter-finals and Löw has singled out his veteran midfield pair, both 31, for special praise.

"I think both Frings and Ballack are at their best," he said to AP.

"Frings certainly is the one who makes sure that Ballack can play.

"He plays very sensibly, he keeps his eye on the ball while Ballack plays offensively more often than Frings.

"He [Ballack] closes the gaps when he needs to and he's the one who has got the feel for when he needs to step up to plate.

"We will stick to a flat back four with four midfielders and Ballack can play offensively from the wings, also on the counter-attack and he is then able to fall back and play defensively thanks to his speed."

Löw claims that Germany's confidence is growing due to their recent results, which included 4-0 and 3-0 victories over the co-hosts Switzerland and Austria respectively in warm-up matches, results which confirmed their status amongst the tournament favourites.

"It's true that over the past few months we have become more and more self-confident," he added.

"In a number of games we proved we can implement a concept and put into practice what we have worked on."

But despite the confidence and high levels of performance being shown by his side Löw acknowledges that he still has a lot to learn in the game.

"I can still learn from a number of people and each time I meet a colleague from another team, I try to take things home with me after talking with other coaches, such as Slaven Bilic [Croatia's manager],” he continued.

"It's important for me. He has proved as a young coach that he can take the team in the right direction.

"They had good results in qualifying, beating England and they not only have a strong team but also a strong coach."

Goal.com - Euro 2008 - Löw: Frings And Ballack Key

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Babbel: Young Guns Can Win It Or Lose It For Germany

Former Germany defender Markus Babbel believes his country’s chances at EURO 2008 are up in the air following their shock loss to Croatia last night…

The Germans lost their mantle as one of the tournament favourites after being downed by a talented and determined Croatia outfit in the Austrian town of Klagenfurt.

Darijo Srna and Ivica Olic gave the Vatreni a 2-0 lead, and while Lukas Podolski scored his third goal of the tournament, the Mannschaft failed to equalise and lost 2-1 to remain on three points and slip to second place in Group B.

Speaking in the build-up to the clash at the Worthersee Stadion, Babbel insisted there was much to be positive about but admitted there are doubts concerning the collective youth of the German squad.

"On our day we can beat anyone and there is a lot of optimism for the Germany side at the moment," the former Bayern Munich and Liverpool right-back told LFC Magazine.

"But there's also a fear that things could also go wrong. It's a very young team which is still learning at international level and there are a couple of good players coming through who people might not know too much about - like Mario Gomez - who we have at Stuttgart.

"That all means that anything can happen."

Goal.com - Euro 2008 - Babbel: Young Guns Can Win It Or Lose It For Germany

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I've just read on TV newsbar that Schweinsteiger has been suspended for one match, as expected, because of the red card.

I've also read that Podolski is doubtful for the Austria match. It gave no reasons why, but I guess he could have picked up an injury. I hope not, and I hope he will play.

EDIT - Just checked Sport Bild for more info. As I guessed, Podolski has picked up an injury. Injuries have also picked Philipp Lahm and Marcell Jansen.

Fußball - EM2008 - Auch das noch: Drei Spieler verletzt! - SPORT BILD

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Podolski Doubtful For Austria Clash
Germany star Lukas Podolski could be out of his side’s make-or-break Group B clash against Austria on Monday.

Germany’s top tournament goalscorer has taken a knock to his ankle in training and may miss his countries final group game at Euro 2008.

And Head Coach Joachim Low admited on Friday that Podolski’s problem could be serious enough to miss the crucial game against the co-hosts.

“Podolski has taken a knock on the ankle and could not train today," Low said at a news conference.

"We'll have to wait and see. We may be forced to make changes."

Podolski has scored all three of Germany's goals at the tournament, scoring in the 2-0 win over Poland and Thursday's much-documented 2-1 loss to Croatia.

Defender Marcell Jansen, who struggled against Croatia, is also doubtful for the Monday’s match because of a shoulder injury.

Bastian Schweinsteiger is also out due to a suspension incurred after he earned a red card and an automatic one-game ban for shoving Jerko Leko to the ground in the closing stages of the Croatia encounter.

With six points and a stronger head-to-head record, Croatia have clinched first place in Group B and a berth in the quarter-finals. Germany currently lie in second place with three points, while Austria and Poland are tied for third place with a point apiece.

Germany will advance to the quarter-finals with a win or a draw against the Austrians.

Bad News :S

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He is very important. I hope he will shake off that injury.

[Vargas_4]

Crap.

The last thing we needed is that our only offensive & effective player to get injured.

[BlackNess]

Awesome, Lahm and Podolski ....

Why not Mertesacker and we are off home ?

This is not good, not good

we need to win by 2 goals at least next match.