The day that the Germans crumbled

It was a match when I actually felt sad. Germany lost. Yeah, I'm supporting the German team. A young team, moulded by the youngest coach in World Cup tournament (beating Marco van Basten by three months and a day), to be one of the best once more. I have to admit that the Germans weren't the better of the two teams that clashed. Italy seemed better. Germans were backed by their home supporters and rallied by their coach, Jürgen Klinsmann. The German team moved into the pitch with a nervous fear of Italy (from their previous meeting) and was trying to hold on to their wits by the local, loyal, thousands of supporters/fans.

In the first-half, the "homies" were cornered and could not even produce a shot-on-goal. The Germans gritted their teeth and finally came back at the attacking Italians in the second-half with a renewed spirit. Fangs were shown and claws extracted from the hidden but the Germans still could not produce anything to hurt the Italians. The matured and well-balanced Italian team manages to score and drew first-blood, and then second, in the last four minutes from the second-half of extra-time. My team had lost. These were my recollections from the match that I saw.



Jürgen Klinsmann, a man under tremendous pressure, had managed to carry the burden and pushed his team of young players into the Semi-finals of the World Cup tournament. The team had lost in Euro Cup, licked its wounds, had produced a world class performance on home ground. Klinsmann was given a task to guide the German team that was in "shabby" condition once Rudy Voeller stepped down from that position. The style of "guiding" was often criticized and often questioned. I guess, Frank Sinatra's song, "I did it my way" seems to fit. And so it ends in semi-finals.

I guess he is the man that I supported and not the German team. I admire that he got the courage to do the things that he did and manage to produce the result that he had achieved. Klinsmann took a group of misfits (declared by one news source) and he formed them to be one of the best teams in the world. Once again, Germany could be proud of their players. Klinsmann held position that most people love but hate at the same time.

Taking up the position would mean fame if the team produce results. However to produce the desired result, of winning the World Cup, would mean taking shots and lots of it. Klinsmann took bullets, faced the storms and everything else that came at him. He took the team that he built trusts with and the team with him, into the semi-finals, only to find a halt at the end of the tunnel so close to the light.

The German team went down but not without a fight and Klinsmann is willing to take whatever else that would come after the failure. A 41-year-old, with a mission to win the World Cup, failed two steps away and now facing his homeland and its crowd. He's standing in the spotlight and will he stay or go? His only words were, "I'll tell you later."

I know that other coaches have the same pressure but as the youngest coach, he has a tall order after the dismal performance in Euro Cup. So it's tougher for him. It is also more for him to prove himself as a good coach of the highest standard, since the games/competition would be at his own back yard.

Germany comes with a huge football (soccer for the some of you) history and football culture. Good history records means consistency in being the best or at least one of the greats. Jürgen Klinsmann needs to make up for the poor performance of late and put his country team up as one of the best once more. He has no other such records in his coaching repertoire of such high level to prove to his country and the supporters that demands the best. The only proof is to win the World Cup tournament. That's the pressure he gets.

England's next coach/manager would be facing the same issues but their next manager is an experienced one, and thus not a total green-horn. Brazil's hopes were dashed but it is expected of their country to send the coach off if nothing else but THE Cup in hand.

Germany came back from it's lowest ebb and rose to be a great wave today. Klinsmann, Jürgen Klinsmann, the reason for me to support Germany.

(all pictures were taken from http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/ )