I had always wondered why all along after England (because of the Premier League), Holland is my father's next favourite national team. At first my guess is because of the Dutch footballers who play their club football in England. I asked him like the day before again.
Total Football. That was what he said. Holland's most finest footballing years also came during the time when Johan Cyruff was part of that. The team my father always has a soft spot for (despite he used to be frustrated at the constant infighting in the Oranje). And this brought me to what I read in The Straits Times yesterday. The paper has a selection of quotes throughout the tournament and in yesterday's coverage, on the subject of why the training sessions are all held behind closed doors, coach Joachim Loew said that they (i.e. the national team) 'want to seduce our fans during the tournament, not on the training pitch'. If my father had been 'seduced' by Holland's 'Total Football' (and its most finest hour came months before I was a year old, the 1988 European Championship victory), then I had been 'seduced' by the German brand of football in recent times.
Alright. Time to get down to business. If the past two encounters are of any guide, the match at Klagenfurt is not going to be pretty. The first time Croatia and Germany met was in Euro 1996 in England with the latter advancing to the finals at the expense of the former. Two years later, the two met in France during the World Cup quarter-finals and Croatia got their revenge this time round. A certain Slaven Bilic was part of the class of 1996 (especially it comes after the break-up of the former Yugoslavia) and 1998.
He is now the coach for the Croatian national team. The fact that how Croatia came into the tournament, his German counterpart Joachim Loew said that they are dangerous opponents.
For the German national team, it's more than just qualifying for the quarter-finals (given this match could possibly decide whom will go there first), it's much more than that (about proving they are serious contenders for the title since winning it in 1996). They have a point given captain Michael Ballack is wary of England-slayers Croatia. But for Croatia, if they can make England not qualifying for the tournament, they can also dent Germany's hopes of a Euro 2008 title as well.
And in-form Germany striker Lukas Podolski hopes to celebrate his 50th cap by firing the national team into the last eight. His two goals against Poland in the opener has really gotten many to sit up and take notice the 2006 World Cup's Young Player of the tournament. Germany coach Joachim Loew took time out yesterday to identify his midfield pairing of Michael Ballack and Torsten Frings as key to the success of his team at Euro 2008. Croatia coach Slaven Bilic wasn't really amused at a question being asked to make a comparision between the German national team and a style of music (given in view he's also part of a rock band back home in Croatia where he plays the guitar). He has no time for such things.
Team-news wise...the question of Croatia's key player Luka Modric's (who scored the eventual only goal against the co-hosts Austria in Vienna during the opener by a penalty) fitness is under doubt. As for Germany...nothing. Only a matter of whom will be starting. The same XI which beated Poland?
Portugal has already guaranteed their spot in the quarter-finals no matter what happens in their final group match against the already-eliminated co-hosts Switzerland in Group A. Which side in Group B (which Germany, Croatia, Poland and co-hosts Austria are part of) will join Portugal? Will we know in this match? Or do we have to wait till the final day?
