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发表于 2010-6-24 07:55 PM
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Why Three Lions will beat Germany
ON the way to Munich's Olympic Stadium on September 1, 2001, I popped into a tobacconists and bought a cigar.
What the hell, I bought two.
Proper, full on, Bill Clinton-style efforts, rolled on the inside of a young Cuban firecracker's thigh.
There was a funny feeling in the air that Sven Goran Eriksson's team were about to deliver in this vital World Cup qualifier.
Despite defeat at Wembley 11 months earlier that saw the end of Kevin Keegan, England had put a decent run together and a few us of even tipped them to win.
As the third goal went in, the first cigar was lit. As Emile Heskey completed the 5-1 rout, a match was applied to the second.
A little theatrical maybe. But days like that don't come along very often.
And there's a strange feeling in the air once again here in South Africa.
That England, despite the paucity of their performance against Algeria, could be acquiring the momentum to see them overcome their oldest rivals in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Franz Beckenbauer's latest observations leave much food for thought.
Yes, England have slipped up by finishing second in the group.
Instead of Ghana and Uruguay, it's Germany and Argentina.
At the same time, Ghana and Uruguay are just the kind of sides England always struggle against.
A Ghana team of great strength and athleticism, a Uruguay team boasting one of the liveliest forward lines in the tournament.
Germany, though, will bring the best out of us.
The big-name teams always do.
Yes, Argentina and Portugal beat us on penalties in 1998 and 2006 while a freak Ronaldinho free-kick did for us in 2002. But each time we put in a performance despite, in our customary role of our own worst enemy, having a man sent off in both 1998 and 2006.
And just how good are Germany?
I eulogised about them after their opening 4-0 win over Australia but, since then, it's been a struggle.
Defeat by Serbia plus a scratchy win over Ghana, where Joachim Low's young team - eight players under 26 - looked vulnerable and lacking in confidence.
There is also the belief that, though Michael Ballack wasn't missed in the sort of game that saw the Socceroos thrashed by four goals, he will be against England.
Then there was Beckenbauer's claim England look burnt out after a long Premier League season. This takes us back to the old quote from former Red Star Belgrade, Real Madrid and Yugoslavia boss Miljan Miljanic about English football - lions in the winter, lambs by the spring.
It often holds true. But, in this case, I'm not so sure. Yes, England put in an awful lot of effort for not much reward against Slovenia.
And, by the end, some of them were blowing out of their vuvuzelas.
But, generally, the fitness levels for this stage of the year looked surprisingly good.
You could further add that the confidence gained by the win that enabled England to reach the last 16 will more than compensate for the effort expended in getting there.
Yes, we know England made heavy weather of what should have been a simple qualifying process from one of the easiest groups.
We know the performance against Algeria was dire. We also know that Gareth Barry struggled for most of the second half on Wednesday and Matthew Upson for most of the 90 - while Frank Lampard still fails to replicate his Chelsea form for England.
But it was a competent enough display and one that should have seen Slovenia beaten by three or four.
Remember, though, this was a Slovenia side that eliminated Russia in the play-offs after finishing second to group winners Slovakia.
Who yesterday knocked out world champions Italy (and with it the amusing sight of Italian players complaining about Slovak time-wasting).
In one of the most unpredictable tournaments of all time, Spain and Germany have been beaten and France and Italy - finalists four years ago - eliminated.
Just staying in the tournament has become the be-all and end-all.
Now, though, England have to move up through the gears.
At the moment, with Wayne Rooney still misfiring, they are chugging along in third.
Germany may be stuttering after their bright opening but they still glory in the name Die Turniermannschaft - The Tournament Team.
And 11 months after England pulled off the Miracle of Munich, it was they, not Eriksson's side, who reached the World Cup final.
And then there's England, who have not beaten one of the world's elite at the knockout stage since... 1966.
But is this Germany, despite their young talent, a member of that elite? Probably not. Especially with Lukas Podolski struggling in front of goal.
We will find out for certain on Sunday when England will be hoping that old heads are not, as Der Kaiser suggests, betrayed by equally ancient legs.
Despite that, even Beckenbauer rates the outcome at 50/50.
So, will it be a case of close but no cigar? I don't know what's coming over me - probably cabin fever - but I detect another Havana moment coming on.
Send for the men in white coats. |
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狗仔卡
发表于 2010-6-26 09:10 PM
