Three points was what was needed in Germany's World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein in Leipzig to ease the tension that has been rumbling of late off the pitch. It did came along. But in the manner of how it happened, there was nothing really fanciful about it. But did it really taught me anything new on the German national team in the wake of their two back-to-back friendly defeats to England and Norway? I do not know.
I only know I just wish the match against Liechtenstein did not taught me that Mario Gomez is simply rubbish when he is with the national team, as compared to his scoring rate with VfB Stuttgart. Because I remembered Miroslav Klose used to come under stick when he is with the national team for not scoring consistently until his hat-trick against Finland in the World Cup qualifiers in Helsinki last year which silenced his critics. With Klose already out on the sidelines, it is a good chance for Gomez to prove his ability. And as a Stuttgart supporter myself, it does actually always concern me whenever Gomez is with the national team and he gets some action on the pitch. But my mind always brings me back to Klose and the predicament he used to find himself in with the national team until his hat-trick against Finland.
Anyhow, onto things that really matter. Like why for some strange reason, it is starting to remind me of the time when England was playing Kazakhstan last year at the Wembley during the World Cup qualifiers? England might had won 5-1 at that time but, one of the main talking points of the match was what led to England conceding a goal - Ashley Cole. Coach Fabio Capello was not amused at the boos at that time. But then given of Cole's reputation, he became an easy target. Capello back then ahead of the match had even called on the fans to back the team in the wake of how their World Cup campaign had been going along until the match at the Wembley.
I raised the booing incident in the wake of what happened to Mario Gomez in Germany's 4-0 win over Liechtenstein. But unlike Ashley Cole, the thing with Gomez is that, he always score at club level but including the match yesterday against Liechtenstein, he has now gone 13 matches without scoring a goal in national team colours. I swear at times when watching the match myself, I almost went 'Argh!' in my head. Goal-scoring chances that went begging. Anyhow, with captain Michael Ballack leading the way with him scoring the opener in the fourth minute to ease the nerves of any potential upset (and he was rated the best player among those who were in action for the German national team yesterday) plus Marcell Jansen's goal nine minutes later which make up for the goals in the first-half before two more quick ones in the second-half by Bastien Schweinsteiger (quite a team goal in what led to Schweinsteiger's goal and the third on the match) and Schweinsteiger's Bayern Munich team-mate Lukas Podolski scoring his goal two minutes later, beating Liechtenstein goalkeeper Peter Jehle after a cross from Mario Gomez from the left was deflected into his path. Liechtenstein finally had their first shot on goal in the 54th minute but Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke had no problems with Mario Frick's long-range attempt.
Four goals, three points. And it is actually against an injury-ravaged Liechstenstein. One of the talking points ahead of the match is how many goals will Germany hit past the 151st-ranked nation on the FIFA rankings. Or eh, how many goals against the 'football dwarf' (if what Google Translate told me is true). It was 6-0 the last time round, which is also the first World Cup qualifier for both sides. That was what the home fans in Leipzig wanted - the goals, and lots of it. It is a very respectable scoreline from Liechtenstein at the end of it. Much has been said that the squad is mainly make up of part-time footballers from the German press. But then Mario Frick, he actually play his football in Italy with Siena. One of the few who play professional football.
Three points collected, the next task for the Germans is against Wales in Cardiff on Wednesday. Whether next playing against a side which has almost all but given up their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup after their 2-0 home loss to Finland will stand the Germans in good stead after collecting a morale-booster three points first at home remains to be seen despite all those signals from Cardiff yesterday. But for national team captain Michael Ballack, it will be a step up in Cardiff against the Welsh. Considering back when the draw was first made, it was already clear from the start that Russia will prove to be Germany's biggest obstacle in earning that automatic spot for the World Cup (given the second-ranked side will have to go through the play-offs and there are no guarantees even over there). Everything is being worked towards the clash in Moscow in October as that may prove crucial as to which side will earn the automatic spot to South Africa. Russia won theirs against Azerbaijan 2-0 on the same day Germany beat Liechtenstein, though the Russians do have a game in hand. For now, the 4-0 win against Liechtenstein ensured Germany maintained their four-point advantage over Russia at the top of Group Four.
One hurdle cleared, and that is an obligation being fulfiled before the Wales encounter, at least for the German national team coach Joachim Loew. Nobody need reminders more than him of what England and Norway had did to his side in the two friendlies before the match in Leipzig. It had forced him to be under pressure, even if he said that the mood before the match yesterday was 'good'. On the 4-0 win, he said, "It was a solid result for our team, I am content. We started well in both halves, but afterwards we ran forward less, but it was a good run out before the Wales game." For defender Philipp Lahm (who enjoyed a quiet night with precious little to do at the back), "It was a straight-forward win, but it was nevertheless important that we put in a good performance. We deserved the victory, we began very well and we created two goals at the start of each half, so we have to be happy with a 4-0 win." Meanwhile for Liechtenstein's Swiss coach Hans-Peter Zaugg, he was already contented with the fact that despite missing several key players, the scale of the defeat was acceptable. With this, "After 50 minutes it was already 4-0 to them, so I compliment my team for not conceeding far more, we can live with 4-0. At home last September we lost 6-0 to Germany with our best side, so this time despite a few injuries we obtained an acceptable result."
Now onto that Mario Gomez issue. His fellow team-mates on the national team were in support of him, same goes with the national team coach as well. If what Loew had said in regarding to Gomez's chances on Wednesday, then there is a possibility the VfB Stuttgart striker will play. Loew said, "Wales will be looking for a reaction after this result (the 2-0 loss to Finland) and will need to play more open if they want to have a chance to qualify. We will have to see who is fit but overall it is quite imaginable." For Bastien Schweinsteiger who scored Germany's third goal against Liechtenstein, "I think we need such a player. He is very gifted. I think it was a pity that the fans whistled. He is obviously sad not to have scored but I told him that he will score significant goals with the quality he has." For the man at the centre of unwanted attention, Gomez had said that he would not be running away from it all.
Despite already hanging up his gloves last May, former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn has not really move away from football. There is the TV pundit job with public channel ZDF, his business commitments in China and as of ahead of Germany's match against Liechtenstein yesterday, he has also become the ambassador of the DFB's (German Football Federation) Sepp Herberger Foundation. His turning down of being the next general manager at Schalke on Friday has gotten many wondering why with him actually being a big favourite for the job to replace the already-sacked Andreas Mueller, he decided not to take on the job after all. Speaking to the media yesterday, "The role with a top club like Schalke clashes with my activities in Asia in the forthcoming months and has come six to eight months too early." But that does not mean he is not interested in a similar job in the future. And when being asked about a future role at Bayern Munich (he had spent 14 years there and there were talk he could be Uli Hoeness's successor given Hoeness is stepping down at the end of the seaso), he simply said: "I don't want to put myself under any pressure at all."
One thing that has nothing to do with the match (Oliver Kahn's latest work). Anyhow before I end the entry, something for those who had watched the match. For those who did get to watch both the national teams singing their national anthems before kick-off (not sure if it happened at where I live because I was watching the final minutes of the England-Slovakia friendly as it was on another channel), did anyone heard the tune to Liechtenstein's national anthem Oben am jungen Rhein (in English: Up above the young Rhine, as German is being spoken in the country)? It is actually being sung to the tune of the British national anthem of God Save The Queen (and also in countries, territories still under British rule). No kidding. And Liechtenstein is not the only country in the world to have its national anthem inspired by the British original - here.
To be honest, I actually only first knew about it on Friday when watching the Deutsche Welle's Bundesliga Kick-off special on the Germany-Liechtenstein match. Me learning something new over there then.
