Germans get timely reality check; France, Spain soar
Source: Agencies |
March 2, 2012, Friday
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GERMANY'S 1-2 defeat to France in their friendly in Bremen may have come at just the right time, giving the team, which among the Euro 2012 favorites, a reality check following its perfect qualifying campaign.
The Germans qualified top of their group with 10 wins from 10 games and also scored confidence-boosting victories over top teams, including Brazil, Uruguay and the Netherlands, in friendlies last year as talk of their first title since 1996 grew louder.
Wednesday's defeat against France, which less than two years ago spectacularly flopped at the World Cup in South Africa, was a sobering experience for Joachim Loew's team, highlighting the fact that it may not be plain sailing for it in Poland and Ukraine in June and July.
Germany was missing injured captain Philipp Lahm at the back as well as central defender Per Mertesacker. In midfield, Bastian Schweinsteiger - nicknamed "the brain" by Loew - was also out injured, as were Mario Goetze and Lukas Podolski.
It was not, however, the first time Germany had taken to the pitch without key players and throughout the game they were on the back foot against the speedy French.
Loew said it was a deserved win for France but his team, which has two more friendlies against Switzerland and Israel, would bounce back in time for the Euros. "We are obviously a bit annoyed with the result but I am more annoyed about the way we lost. But we must keep in mind it was a long break since November, there were some changes, some injuries and you can lose your rhythm a bit."
The win moved France from outsider to the ranks of Euro favorites as Les Bleus extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches under coach Laurent Blanc.
Meanwhile, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque was a happy man after Wednesday's 5-0 drubbing of Venezuela, saying the world and European champion had achieved all the goals it set itself for the friendly in Malaga.
It was a final chance for him to experiment before he names his final Euro squad in May and several of the players out to prove they deserve to be on the plane to Poland in June responded in emphatic style.
Roberto Soldado, who was recalled to the squad after a five-year absence to replace the misfiring Fernando Torres, has surely booked his ticket after he came on at halftime and netted a hat-trick.
The Germans qualified top of their group with 10 wins from 10 games and also scored confidence-boosting victories over top teams, including Brazil, Uruguay and the Netherlands, in friendlies last year as talk of their first title since 1996 grew louder.
Wednesday's defeat against France, which less than two years ago spectacularly flopped at the World Cup in South Africa, was a sobering experience for Joachim Loew's team, highlighting the fact that it may not be plain sailing for it in Poland and Ukraine in June and July.
Germany was missing injured captain Philipp Lahm at the back as well as central defender Per Mertesacker. In midfield, Bastian Schweinsteiger - nicknamed "the brain" by Loew - was also out injured, as were Mario Goetze and Lukas Podolski.
It was not, however, the first time Germany had taken to the pitch without key players and throughout the game they were on the back foot against the speedy French.
Loew said it was a deserved win for France but his team, which has two more friendlies against Switzerland and Israel, would bounce back in time for the Euros. "We are obviously a bit annoyed with the result but I am more annoyed about the way we lost. But we must keep in mind it was a long break since November, there were some changes, some injuries and you can lose your rhythm a bit."
The win moved France from outsider to the ranks of Euro favorites as Les Bleus extended their unbeaten run to 18 matches under coach Laurent Blanc.
Meanwhile, Spain coach Vicente del Bosque was a happy man after Wednesday's 5-0 drubbing of Venezuela, saying the world and European champion had achieved all the goals it set itself for the friendly in Malaga.
It was a final chance for him to experiment before he names his final Euro squad in May and several of the players out to prove they deserve to be on the plane to Poland in June responded in emphatic style.
Roberto Soldado, who was recalled to the squad after a five-year absence to replace the misfiring Fernando Torres, has surely booked his ticket after he came on at halftime and netted a hat-trick.
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