Whilst somewhat inundated with copious amounts of pieces of A4 in preparation for a major essay, my phone buzzed with updates from the Germany vs. Australia fixture last night. Of course, that would have been a game I would have gladly put the telly on for, but no such fun for me. As I waited for Germany to try to equalise, or even steal the lead, I got to thinking about why teams perform so differently in friendlies. Germany’s first official competitive campaign starts this Sunday in Georgia for the first of their Euro 2016 Qualifiers of 2015, and questions have been raised about how the current World Champions will battle if they seek optimum three points. But has this friendly aided their cause? Will they be bolstered for action this weekend?
A Friendly with Australia: Good Practice for Germany?
A 2-2 draw against the Socceroos does not exactly scream typical clinical play from Joachim Löw’s boys; the smartly-suited boss has confessed that his squad lacked control, and their defence was somewhat sloppy. This is the sort of characteristics rather far removed from how Germany usually operate on the pitch, and they certainly cannot adopt these careless tactics if they want to progress and dominate next year’s Euros. Löw’s ease with experimentation in friendly matches is, however, a worthwhile trick in order to truly see how fledgling stars react in fixtures of importance and exercise a little more flavour on the field.
Many people question the need for these types of games; arguably, they don’t count for much, but experience and practice is vital in any sport, and a friendly is a true test of ability outside the training ground. Germany have always been tightly-fashioned on the pitch, and ooze creativity as well as methodical play, but their meeting with Australia last night displayed otherwise. Perhaps it was the lack of presence from Manuel Neuer that made the difference? Or, more concerning still, was it the absence of former Captain and role model, Philipp Lahm?
Germany opened the game, with thanks to trusty Marco Reus, and also ended it, with Lukas Podolski firing into Mat Ryan’s net in the 81st minute. Podolski’s successful strike earned him his 48th for his country, which has rewarded him with fourth-place position on the all-time top goal scorers for Germany, superseding both Jürgen Klinsmann and Rudi Vӧller. It’s the seamless knack the Germans possess to make records and shatter them that really excites me often; their skills are not flawless, of course, but they really are worthy contenders – not to mention, they were the very best back in the summer.
Despite James Troisi and Mile Jedinak slipping past Ron-Robert Zieler, it is all positive for Germany; if they want to enhance their on-bench assets and have true substitution options, then players must be allowed some proper game time. Not only this, Germany must be sure to retain objectivity without complacency, especially as the traditional formation of the past few years is set to shake up a bit, with some older team members disembarking.
With Georgia poised for action this Sunday, Germany might feel that bit more prepared for the game ahead. There are risks attached to poor performance this weekend, and Germany need to have the man power on tap in order to defend their honour.
