Much has occurred that could have rattled the Nationalmannschaft in the run-up to South Africa. Goalkeeper Robert Enke, battling depression, committed suicide in November, and his replacement, Rene Adler, was ruled out because of an injury.
Michael Ballack — Germany’s longtime captain and biggest star — did not make it, either, after he damaged ligaments in his ankle in last month’s FIFA World Cup DVD final.
There was also the potential flip side of success: Bayern Munich, which provides more players to the national team than any other, reached the Champions League final, which was good news for German soccer but delayed its players from taking full part in Löw’s squad-building preparations. And Löw has had his own issues, having failed to agree on a contract extension with his federation that would take him beyond the FIFA World Cup DVD.
But by the time Germany had finished pounding balls into the back of the Australian net Sunday night, none of that seemed significant. Lacking Ballack and lacking experience in key positions, the Germans still roared to a 4-0 victory and an early share of first place in Group D with their next opponent, Ghana.
The Germans’ victory was no surprise. Though the Australians reached the second round in the 2006 World Cup, they are an aging team without an established striker whose players generally earn their livings in second-tier leagues.
What was startling was the manner of the victory. It was an attention-demanding blend of the Germans’ traditional precision with a new creative streak, much of it because of the deft feet and lively soccer mind of Mesut Özil, a 21-year-old center midfielder.
“I think we all knew they were candidates for the World Cup, and they showed they have a fantastic team,” said Pim Verbeek, Australia’s coach. “Every player they brought into the team, they made the team not weaker but stronger.”
There was flair in abundance, particularly down the right flank, where outside back Philipp Lahm, Ballack’s replacement as the German captain, likes to roam far upfield and where Özil and an even younger talent, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder Thomas Müller, kept overwhelming the Australian defense.
That defense looked daunting at first glance, with all 10 outfield players, including striker Tim Cahill, forming a tight zonal block. But the Germans kept finding the fault lines and dashing into open spaces with the ball at their feet.
Müller set up the first goal in the eighth minute with a low cross that skidded untouched through the Australian penalty area until the German wing Lukas Podolski, running free, struck it hard with his left foot from 12 yards. The veteran goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer got his right hand on the ball, but that was not enough to stop it from rebounding into the goal.
Miroslav Klose scored the second goal on a header in the 26th minute after he beat Schwarzer to a long cross from Lahm inside the penalty area.
“I think we were pretty good,” Podolski said. “From the very first to the very last minute, we had great attacks and also put the opponents under pressure, and I think we implemented perfectly well what we wanted to do.”
In the 56th minute, Cahill was expelled from the game for a dangerous tackle in which he caught midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on the outside of his left knee. Müller and the substitute striker Cacau soon added the last two German goals.
Klose and Podolski were the two main attacking threats for Germany in the last FIFA World Cup DVD, when it reached the semifinals under Low’s former boss, Jürgen Klinsmann.
“I simply know I can rely on these players, even if they might not score in one match or if they go through a bad patch,” Löw said of Klose and Podolski.
Lahm and defenders Arne Friedrich and Per Mertesacker are also part of the bridge between that 2006 team and this one, which is a reflection of modern German society with its mix of ethnicities.
Özil is the son of former Turkish guest workers in Germany. Sami Khedira, who has replaced Ballack as a holding midfielder, is the 23-year-old son of Tunisian and German parents. Cacau, a Brazilian by birth, became a German citizen last year.
Together, they and their teammates made quite an impression Sunday night. The question is how much of it had to do with the Australians and how much of it had to do with them.
“There will be more difficult opponents to play, but this was a good warm-up,” Löw said. “We will be happy about this one, but there is no need to get euphoric.”
NCIS: Los Angeles Season 1 DVD Boxset
Detailed DVD Info
Category:Crime Drama Thriller
Name:NCIS: Los Angeles
Season:1 (E1-E24)
TV Series Release Date:September 22, 2009
Aspect Ratio:1.78: 1
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Language:English With Removable Subtitles
Format:Support Both NTSC and PAL
Discs:8 pcs
TV Series Info
Leading Role: Chris O'Donnell, Peter Cambor, Daniela Ruah, Adam Jamal Craig, Barrett Foa, Linda Hunt, LL Cool JDirector: Shane Brennan
Plot Summary
NCIS: Los Angeles (Naval Criminal Investigative Service: Los Angeles) is an American police procedural television series which premiered on CBS on September 22, 2009. NCIS: Los Angeles is the first spin-off of NCIS, which itself was a spinoff of another CBS series, JAG. On October 7, 2009, CBS gave the series a full-season pickup, extending the first season to 22 episodes.The season was extended again on November 4, 2009, when CBS announced its order for an additional two episodes.
Chris O'Donnell plays the lead character, Callen, a lead agent whose natural talent for undercover work is legendary. LL Cool J plays the role of Special Agent Sam Hanna, an ex-Navy SEAL, who works in the undercover unit of NCIS in Los Angeles, and is also fluent in Arabic and an expert on Middle Eastern culture. Peter Cambor and Daniela Ruah are cast as a psychologist named Nate and forensic investigator named Kensi, respectively; Louise Lombard, who had been confirmed to play the role of lead agent Lara Macy, was not a regular in the new series, and the character was killed off during an episode of NCIS.
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