Summer of Löw: Germany’s excellent World Cup suggests bright future

As Bastian Schweinsteiger lay slumped, crestfallen, on the Durban turf following Germany’s defeat to Spain in the World Cup semi-final, his disappointment was shared by millions of his compatriots in fan parks and public viewing areas up and down the country. After riding a wave of excitement and euphoria all the way to the semi-finals, Joachim Löw’s men were halted in their tracks by a red brick wall. It was a bitter pill to swallow for all those concerned with the ‘Nationalmannschaft’. The quest for the 4th star on their shirt will have to wait another 4 years.

The burning question on everyone’s lips in the aftermath of the match was how a team that had dismantled two big names so mercilessly in previous rounds could go out so tamely in the biggest game of their careers? From Germany’s perspective, the match was all about possession lost cheaply, too much respect shown to the Spaniards and not enough conviction going forward.

Despite the disappointment however, there will be no recriminations or post mortems. Just a simple realisation that Germany were beaten by the better side, arguably the best side in the world, on top of their game for the first time in this World Cup. There is also a feeling that, despite their elimination, this is not the end for this young team, merely the beginning.

The Future Looks Bright

On current evidence, it looks as if there is sufficient young talent in reserve to address the current team’s weaknesses. Löw will hope that Hamburg’s Dennis Aogo will develop enough to make the troublesome left-back berth his own by 2012. Furthermore, Holger Badstuber, Jerome Boateng, Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and Schalke’s Benedikt Höwedes will form a pool of talented, and versatile, centre-backs from which to choose.

Anyone who watched Germany’s matches will know that, in Thomas Müller and Mesut Özil, Germany have two potentially world class attacking midfield talents. They also had two more, Marko Marin and Toni Kroos, champing at the bit to make an entrance from the bench, whilst Marco Reus and  Kevin Groβkreutz were waiting in the wings back at home, hoping to make a push for a place in future squads.

Aside from Müller and Özil, two of Germany’s biggest success stories at this World Cup were Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger in the ‘double 6’ position. Nominated for the Golden Ball, Schweinsteiger was a revelation for Germany. He grew into both his new central position and his vice-captain role with aplomb, turning in some superb, imposing displays in Germany’s engine room. He was ably supported by the responsible Khedira, who performed with remarkable maturity given his youth and lack of caps.

Germany were lucky that one of these two players were not struck down by injury during the tournament, as their two potential replacements, Kroos and Aogo, can be firmly placed in the ‘makeshift’ category. Surely then Christian Träsch (Stuttgart), Stefan Reinartz (Leverkusen) and also Lars and Sven Bender (Leverkusen and Dortmund respectively), will be firmly in Löw’s thoughts when considering cover and competition for Scwheini and Khedira.

The Löw Affair Looks Set to Continue

At the time of writing, it looks as if Löw will sign a 2-year extension of his contract, enabling him to carry on his long-term project, blooding young players and overseeing an evolution in the team’s style of play. This is, perhaps, the most important factor in any progress Germany are to make in the next 2 to 4 years. Löw is hugely popular within his squad.

It is well known that in any pre-tournament preparation he places a huge emphasis on forming a unified bond within the group. This serves to instil the squad with a sense of confidence and self-belief, offering a platform for players to perform to their maximum despite a lack of experience or, in the cases of Miro Klose and Lukas Podolski, an indifferent domestic campaign.

It is not only good man management that has allowed Löw’s Germany to thrive, however. The man from the Black Forest is also a meticulous planner. Before the tournament, he had a clear concept of how he wanted his team to play, ditching traditional ‘German virtues’ of fitness and fighting spirit in favour of quick, short passing and incisive counter-attacking. He utilised a 4-2-3-1 system in which every player knew their job and which was able to provide a framework in which the creativity of the likes of Özil and Müller could flourish.

One reason Löw gave for Spain’s superiority in the semi-final, was that the nucleus of ‘la Selección’ had been playing together for 3 years whilst Germany had only 6-7 weeks. If his assertion is right, what price a German victory at EURO 2012?

Geoff Edwards is a new contributor to Just-Football.com, specialising in German football. He can also be found at World Football Columns.

(photo credit: Ryu Voelkel)

Germany, Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller, World Cup 2010