I still remembered that day. Almost in the literal sense given the Champions League final happened in the early hours of the morning here. Back then, not many gave Manchester United a chance to lift the trophy in Moscow (but United eventually did it in the end, on penalty shootouts). I admitted I was a little depressed leading to the kick-off (while trying not to show it) and it's not because my club have key injury concerns.
The club was not ready the year before which is true, but in the following season - We want to end the nine years of hurt, we want to honour the Busby Babes who died exactly 50 years ago in the Munich air disaster. We had been there, done that. Chelsea's last European glory was in 1998 when they beat VfB Stuttgart to win the now-defunct European Cup Winners' Cup. Back then, the coach for Stuttgart...was a certain Joachim Loew. Yes, the man who is now Germany national coach. After leading Stuttgart to German Cup triumph the year before, the European Cup Winners' Cup was his next major coaching achievement. And that was about it.
I still cannot believe back then when I was watching 'Euro 2008 - The Contenders' on SuperSports and the episode was on Germany, how much Loew has changed on his appearance. It has been two years. At one time I thought I saw my former Secondary One Science teacher (it's a he) in him...in terms of fashion stakes, that is. I know it's no point clinging onto the past but the thought returned the day after the match against Austria (when Loew addressed the media wearing...a pink shirt). My own 'summer fairytale' ended abruptly...it began in January 2001 and ended on the final day of school. I thought I may never be able to find it again until the 2006 World Cup came about.
The headline to the preview to the final in Vienna is partly inspired by what I was reading in The Sunday Times today. As far as stereotypes go, 'efficiency' comes to mind when associating with the Germans. And it showed in their football. It may not be always pretty as Brazil and Argentina but, they are able to rise to the occasion when needed. In this tournament so far, Spain has always been classy (as according to Reuters) and consistent. They haven't lost a single match yet. Germany got the ground running against Poland, lost to Croatia, did their business against Austria, really shine against Portugal, kind of lucky against Turkey. And it's ironic, even as a Germany supporter myself, that the guys did well...when their coach was not allowed in the dugout (or maybe again, they want to win for their coach).
Spain have every reason to be motivated, even without striker and current top goal-scorer David Villa. Coach Luis Aragones have other good players at his disposal, like midfielder Cesc Fabregas (and if news coming out of a Spanish TV is anything to go by, Fabregas will start against Germany). Also, they had managed to overcome the mental fragility that has so often dogged them in the past. Spain nearly ended their trophy drought 24 years ago, if not for Michel Platini's France (the man who is now the UEFA President has even invited Luis Arconada, the goalkeeper he embarrassed 24 years ago to the final in Vienna). So that means the trophy drought continued and the 1964 European Championship is still the only major trophy they have. While the road to Vienna has been riding smoothly for them, it's not really the case for Germany and this is how the two nations got there and also a guide to both nations' recent head-to-head records (competitive and international friendlies included - Germany winning eight of 19 meetings overall and Spain five with six games drawn). For Germany, somehow they perform when they are the underdogs coming into a match (just look at the match against Portugal in the quarter-final as Portugal was among the pre-tournament favourites) and for this final, they are the underdogs against Spain.
As for news in the Germany camp, I will start with those news which surfaced before news of Germany captain Michael Ballack is doubtful because of an injury to his right calf (he didn't take part in training since Friday and the injury occured when he was playing in the semi-final against Turkey). The piece of news about the German national team heading back to basics for the final came about before it was revealed Spain will face them. Well, the bundestrainer did revealed that there was less pressure on them as they entered the final. The person whose golden goal gave Germany the title when it was held in England 12 years ago, current team manager Oliver Bierhoff has said that the current side must approach the final without fear.
In terms of German-Spanish footballing relations in the current German national team, after Mario Gomez (who is half-Spainish through his father and half-German through his mother), Christoph Metzelder is the next person who knows something about Spanish football given he plays for Real Madrid in his first season (which the club even won the La Liga title). I remembered reading after his side were through to the final, he was telling his club's official website that he want to face Spain in the final. Because his club colleagues Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos play for Spain. Friendships will be cast aside for the moment when the two nations face each other in Vienna and for Metzelder, his side must take advantage of the fact that this is Spain's first appearance in a major final since 1984 (given Germany has been there, done that more than once).
There were concerns as to whether midfielder Torsten Frings will be really fit to play given he has fractured rib (he came on as a substitute for Simon Rofles in the second-half against Turkey as Rofles was oozing blood in the first-half) but Frings himself has declared himself fit for the final. In regarding the case of Germany captain Michael Ballack, it came about quite late into the night. I was just using the Internet and having the TV on with the Wimbledon happening on Star Sports then...that. I was shocked. Why happening at this timing? Ballack missed the 2002 World Cup final through suspension (and Brazil won then). It's like major international tournaments always seemed to eclipse past him. I know he won the German Footballer of the Year more than once when he was still playing in the Bundesliga but other than the 2002 World Cup final, on the same year, he was runner-up with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and then the Champions League final (which Real Madrid won).
It didn't helped much after he moved to Chelsea in the Premier League. His first season was dogged with injuries (and Manchester United won the domestic title with Chelsea being second). In his second year in England, he started to come back in the second-half of the season and his performance was really good for his club. United retained the Premier League title. Before that, Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea in the League Cup. During the Champions League final in Moscow, United beat Chelsea on penalties. There was a report in The Sunday Times (I think it came about before news of Ballack's injury broke given there was nothing in the paper itself) today on will Ballack finally be able to shake off his 'nearly' tag.
Anyhow, it will be a case of touch and go for the inspirational Germany captain. Coach Joachim Loew is hopeful Ballack is fit in time for the final (with the team doctors saying there is still a chance given if not...Loew has a backup plan in mind). Just like the players (Clemens Fritz representing his teammate) who said that they want to win for their coach who was banished to the stands ahead of the quarter-final match against Portugal, the coach himself this time had said that he expects his side to beat Spain with or without Ballack.
Finally for the Spanish corner. Striker David Villa may be out but, the Spanish national team is confident that they can cope without him. For midfielder Santi Carzola, he is seeing an evenly balanced final. According to Carles Puyol, it was coach Luis Aragones who had taught his side to believe it was possible, the first to be convinced that they as a team playing with a very clear style could win. Xabi Alonso has promised that the 'best is yet to come'.
Goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas says that he and his teammates will only have one thing in mind when they take on Germany, to end their 44-year title famine. The French (with a certain Michel Platini in the squad) thwarted their hopes in the 1984 final. For coach Luis Aragones, he has told his squad that no one remembers the losing finalists. And before it will be his final match in charge of the Spanish national team, he has not-so-nice words for his employers. Aragones made it clear that if it had been left up to him he might have stayed on to build on his success here and guide the team to the 2010 World Cup.
A look at the final from the tactical angle. Well, according to Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff that no matter the result in the final, the national team will return to the Berlin Fan Mile on Monday to celebrate with supporters. For Spain's Daniel Guiza, he had said that he will marry his girlfriend if Spain wins. Germany's football great Franz Beckbenbauer has reckoned that it will be a high-scoring final but, expecting his countrymen to sneak it during the penalty shootouts. When it comes to penalty shootouts, except for the 1976 European Championship which they lost in the final through that, Germany has been the experts in penalty kicks. Always surviving each one they are in.
I am not giving away any predictions. It will be tough to predict the outcome given one of my two teams are in the final in Vienna. Which is my team? I think from the preview of the final for this entry, one can probably guess which side already (hint: just look at the number of paragraphs devoted to the two final teams). May we just simply see good football and good atmosphere in the Austria capital of Vienna where the winner will be crowned.
