Official German NT Thread aka Sauerkraut Thread

[BayernFan01]

Very good game. Should have been 3-1 pr 4-1 for us. There was a great chance for Kuranyi created by Podolski in the second half and also Podolski hitting the bar. Kuranyi had a good game also. Ballack plays nothing near they way he plays for Chelsea. Playing moves more and is way more free playing for Germany. Considering that it wasn't our full team and we were playing away to Czech Republic, id say it is a good result.

 

[Hendrik]

Easier than expected. Book your tickets to Austria/Switzerland.

Is Jansen class or what? He should always be the first choice LB, he can do a lot more on that left side than Lahm. I can't wait to see him at Bayern.

 

[Deisler]

Lahm benched? You are out of your mind.

 

[adizlaja]

Lahm benched? You are out of your mind.

lol.. he moves to RB..

 

[BayernFan01]

lol.. he moves to RB..

Yep

Jansen....well this kid is a top class player, no wonder arsenal wanted him. Hes so dynamic. id love him at bayern.

 

[Hendrik]

lol.. he moves to RB..

Yes. Arne Friedrich, although he's been very solid lately, doesn't exactly set the world on fire.

But one also has to admit Lahm has been nothing but average the whole season.

 

[denrze]

Jansen is very talented, a powerful, dynamic, tall wing player. But I would prefer Lahm anytime, he's absolute world class. Maybe he's not really in best shape in post- World Cup season, but there's hardly any defender that can tackle the man better than Lahm without commiting a foul.
On the right side we have Fritz, who's also very solid, so no need for Lahm there, who's better on the left side. Jansen can also play in Midfield, but there's Schweinsteiger.
Ballack and Frings are the best midfield duo in Europe right now. Frings is maybe the best defensive midfield player in Europe at the moment, reminds me a lot of Edgar Davids in his prime.

 

[Deisler]

That is excactly what i was thinking. Lahm might have not been on top of his game but even an average Lahm is perfectly fine with me.
Jansen looks strong but he has a lot to prove yet.

Podolski has his strikes of genius but he must start scoring ffs

 

[Hendrik]

Jansen is very talented, a powerful, dynamic, tall wing player. But I would prefer Lahm anytime, he's absolute world class. Maybe he's not really in best shape in post- World Cup season, but there's hardly any defender that can tackle the man better than Lahm without commiting a foul.
On the right side we have Fritz, who's also very solid, so no need for Lahm there, who's better on the left side. Jansen can also play in Midfield, but there's Schweinsteiger.

I think it's a myth that Lahm is better on the left side. He has no decent left foot so he can only cross the ball with his right. Same with Schweinsteiger. For my taste having too right-footed players on the left side is way too predictable against the tougher opponents. That applies to both the nt and Bayern.
And I wouldn't call Lahm world class, at least not yet. Not in best shape? He had a good World Cup, the fact that he had a short season probably helped him. Apart from that I haven't seen anything special from him.
Don't even get me started on Schweinsteiger. That guy has one class game followed by ten amazingly ****ty ones. His corners are a joke.

If you want to keep Lahm on the left, like you said, you can put Jansen in midfield so both can interchange positions during games.
Schweinsteiger could either be the super sub or take more playing time off an aging Schneider on the right.

 

[BayernFan01]

About Frings, he is one of those players that gels our whole team together and some people don't see it. He is a class midfielder. We fullbacks to chose from, but thats a good thing, keeps the competition going. Id take Lahm over Jansen right now. Lahm has more experience and he can create things out of nothing for us and he can move up. We will miss Schneider when he retires. He is a class winger. Do we have any other CB other than Metzelder and Mertesacker?

 

[Hendrik]

Kaiser: We're number one

"The team played as one. You could almost use every game under Low as a film to show how the game should be played," Beckenbauer enthused.

"At the moment I would dare to say that we are number one in Europe.

"Big countries such as Italy, France and England are all struggling, but the Germans are the only team to have kept their World Cup form going."

Do we have any other CB other than Metzelder and Mertesacker?

Arne and Manuel Friedrich are solid.
Huth, well, he does have the talent to become a good CB.

Serdar Taşçı is probably our hottest prospect. 19 years old, he's been absolutely brilliant for Stuttgart this season. He would've been called up if he wasn't injured.

 

[Deisler]

A turkish kid in the NT, oh boy.

 

[BayernFan01]

Oh yea cant forget about Robert Huth aka The Berlin Wall as they call him in England. Why hasn't he been on the NT lately? i see him start at Borough and i also see him get subbed in as a striker . Forgot about Manuel Friedrich. He inst bad at all. I actually like him very much. Arne can play as a CB?

A turkish kid in the NT, oh boy.

Scholl was half German half Turkish, is Tasci fully Turkish with a German passport?

 

[Hendrik]

Scholl was half German half Turkish, is Tasci fully Turkish with a German passport?

Yes, but he was born and grew up in Germany.

Here's a recent interview

Regarding the national team, you could have advanced faster. Turkey lured you with a starting place in their A-team. But you have decided to play for Germany - and the more stony way with the youth teams of the DFB.

Serdar Tasci: The decision was very difficult. It is a decision for the whole life.

What was crucial?

Serdar Tasci: I'm still proud of my Turkish roots. But I was born in Esslingen and grew up in Altbach and I feel very well here.

Let's be honest: In what way did sporting reasons play a role?

Serdar Tasci: It was definitely a reason too that the chances are higher to play in a great tournament with the German national team or even get the title.

You were torn for a long time. Who did in the end convince you to play for the DFB-team?

Serdar Tasci: That was an old acquaintance: Matthias Sammer. He was with us in England for the U21-match. He spoke to me in the plane and convinced me.

And your parents can live with that?

Serdar Tasci: That wasn't a problem. They said: "Boy, this is your decision. No matter what comes out of it, we stand behind you."

Where does your family come from?

Serdar Tasci: From Artvin near the black sea. My parents came to Germany 30 years ago, but part of my relatives still live in Turkey.

And what do you say to those disappointed turkish fans?

Serdar Tasci: I promise them that I will represent Turkey well in the jersey of the German national team. I think of myself as a link to both cultures. That's a nice mission, isn't it?"

 

[BayernFan01]

Franz Beckenbauer says Germany are the best in Europe after beating Czech Republic in Prague.

Writing in his column for Bild, the Bayern Munich president was full of praise for the way Joachim Low's men defeated their main rivals in Euro 2008 Group D on Saturday.

"The team played as one. You could almost use every game under Low as a film to show how the game should be played," Beckenbauer enthused.

"At the moment I would dare to say that we are number one in Europe.

"Big countries such as Italy, France and England are all struggling, but the Germans are the only team to have kept their World Cup form going."

The Kaiser was also keen to praise Germany's captain Michael Ballack for his performance in Prague.

He added: "Michael Ballack showed that he is a real captain.

"He got stuck in in defence right from the start and showed his team-mates how they need to fight."


I'm glad they're on good terms with Ballack again.

Here are some videos i found

Ballack interview with Podolski joking around in the background
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghXdaAesX90&mode=related&search=

Metzelder interview (how did he get a black eye?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy95KeU2DKQ&mode=related&search=

NT on their way to Prague
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fqShaTyGhE&mode=related&search=

Pre-Match report (Castro and Kiesling are interviewed)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGreWPBhjT8&mode=related&search=

Lahm vs Koller (Hilarious)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uz4tAQqlNqo

 

[Hendrik]

Anyone checked the squad for the Denmark friendly? This has got to be the youngest and most inexperienced German team of all time. Kuranyi will be the captain.

Goal
23 Robert Enke 24.08.1977 Hannover 96 - -
12 Timo Hildebrand 05.04.1979 VfB Stuttgart 5 -

Defence
35 Gonzalo Castro 11.06.1987 Bayer 04 Leverkusen - -
24 Manuel Friedrich 13.09.1979 1. FSV Mainz 05 6 1
27 Clemens Fritz 07.12.1980 Werder Bremen 4 -
2 Marcell Jansen 04.11.1985 Bor. Mönchengladbach 13 -
26 Alexander Madlung 11.07.1982 VfL Wolfsburg 1 -

Midfiels
34 Roberto Hilbert 16.10.1984 VfB Stuttgart - -
15 Thomas Hitzlsperger 05.04.1982 VfB Stuttgart 22 2
38 Simon Rolfes 21.01.1982 Bayer 04 Leverkusen - -
28 Piotr Trochowski 22.03.1984 Hamburger SV 2 -

Offence
30 Paul Freier 26.07.1979 Bayer 04 Leverkusen 18 1
37 Patrick Helmes 01.03.1984 1. FC Köln - -
33 Stefan Kießling 25.01.1984 Bayer 04 Leverkusen - -
31 Kevin Kuranyi 02.03.1982 FC Schalke 04 37 17
29 Jan Schlaudraff 18.07.1983 Alemannia Aachen 2 -

 

[Deisler]

Talking bout youg guns, the Under-21 beat the Czechs 1-0.
Sticking it to them, TWICE.

 

[BayernFan01]

Talking bout youg guns, the Under-21 beat the Czechs 1-0.
Sticking it to them, TWICE.

LOOOL yeaaa! twice in a weeks span

Oh and our squad looks very young, but talented. I think we will give the Danes a hard time, maybe even beat them. Kuranyi as captain LOL, man his ego should be going through the roof because he has been on fire as of lately and now hes captain.

 

[Klobb]

hah @podolski in background of interview

 

[Hendrik]

0-1, the first defeat since Löw took over. No surprise really, you can't expect much more against the Danish A team. It was important that our young guns gained experience playing at international level.

Oh, and Enke > Lehmann