Germany are not only the favorites to top Group G at Brazil 2014, the three-time world champions are also one of the heavyweight contenders to take the title. At the last four major tournaments – the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups™ and the 2008 and 2012 UEFA EUROS – Germany have always made it at least as far as the semi-finals.
The teams
Nevertheless, none of the three opponents should be underestimated. At EURO 2012, Portugal showed they are more than capable of competing with Germany on a good day, even if they narrowly lost that meeting 1-0. The Ghanaians, who will face Portugal for the first time ever in Brazil, will be eager for revenge against Germany after a 1-0 defeat in 2010. The Africans still made it into the knockout rounds, however, advancing at Australia’s expense on goal difference alone. Meanwhile, under the guidance of coach Jurgen Klinsmann, USA have their sights set on emulating their achievements in 2010 in progressing to the Round of 16.
Players to watch
In this group the spotlight will inevitably be trained firmly on Cristiano Ronaldo, who fired Portugal to the finals almost single-handedly with his goals in the play-off ties against Sweden. However, the Real Madrid star is not the only player with outstanding individual talent in the group. In summer 2013 Mesut Ozil became the most expensive German player in history after moving from Madrid to Arsenal in a 50 million Euro deal. For USA, Landon Donovan is the creative hub, while Ghana can call upon a world-class midfielder of their own in Kevin-Prince Boateng, who swapped AC Milan for Schalke over the summer. In a fascinating subplot to the group proceedings, Boateng will jostle for supremacy with his brother Jerome when Ghana play Germany.
The crunch match
USA-Germany, 26 June 2014 (18:00)
It is not so much the teams’ respective positions in the FIFA/Coca Cola World Ranking that make this fixture so intriguing, but rather the men in the respective dugouts. USA coach Klinsmann was at the helm of the Germany side between 2004 and 2006 and played a significant role in the country’s ‘fairytale’ World Cup in 2006. After Klinsmann stepped down, his former assistant Joachim Low took charge and has since taken Germany’s game to another level.
Klinsmann: Our group couldn’t be harder
USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann has said he is relishing going up against his former assistant Joachim Low and finally besting Ghana when the Stars and Stripes play Germany and the Black Stars at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™.
“That’s one of those crazy stories that football writes,” Klinsmann, who made 80 appearances forGermany, told German broadcaster ARD.
Germany play USA in Recife on 26 June in their final Group G game having also drawn Ghana andPortugal.
The Recife clash pits Klinsmann, who coached Germany to third at the 2006 World Cup, against Low, who succeeded him as German head coach in 2006 having been his assistant at that year’s World Cup.
“So, we will be meeting old friends,” said Low. “It’s already something special to have the USA in our group. Jurgen and I have had a very good and close relationship for a long time.
“We have always exchanged ideas on a regular basis, but that will certainly change before the World Cup match.”
Klinsmann’s USA team beat Low’s weakened Germany 4-3 in a friendly in Washington, DC last June, when most of his stars were involved in the UEFA Champions League final, but overall the Germans lead the series with six wins and three defeats.
“That is a tough group, which couldn’t have been harder,” added Klinsmann, who started coaching theUSA in July 2011. The group is a real challenge, but we have built up our self-confidence over the last two and a half years and we have the most successful year in the 100 years of US football behind us.”
The USA will also play Ghana in Natal on 16 June having twice lost to the Black Stars. “Now is the time to beat them,” said Klinsmann.
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