Germans gear up for Spain

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This article was published 06/07/2010 (5936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ERASMIA, South Africa — Coach Joachim Loew says Spain is the strongest team Germany has faced at the World Cup and the only way to beat the European champions is to force them into mistakes.

Spain has been the most consistent team of the past two or three years and is the favourite for the World Cup title, Loew said Monday.

But he believes Germany can beat any opponent, including a Spain team whose passing game he praised as a model for his own style.

Germany lost to Spain 1-0 in the final of the 2008 European Championship and the two sides meet in the semifinal of the World Cup on Wednesday in Durban.

“We are not speaking of revenge, that hasn’t been on my mind at all. We lost the final in 2008 because we were beaten by the best team of the time,” Loew said.

“But we have hope that we can win. For me, Spain is the favourite for the title. It has been the most consistent team of the past two or three years and has played at a very high level. Spain has not one Messi, but several Messis who can decide a game,” Loew said.

Loew was referring to Argentina star Lionel Messi, who was virtually shut out when Germany routed Argentina 4-0 in the quarter-finals.

Spain, however, will be a tough challenge, he said. “They make almost no mistakes but we have to force them into making errors,” said Loew, who devised masterful tactics to beat England and Argentina, seizing on the two teams’ defensive liabilities.

Loew said Germany’s technical skills allow the team to dominate for the entire game.

“We always try to be a constant offensive threat and to convince with our skills,” Loew said. “And Spanish football also places a lot of importance on technical skill. Their passing game is a celebration of football and how easy they make it look is a model for me.”

Germany will be missing Thomas Mueller, one of its two top scorers with four goals, who is suspended. Backup striker Cacau remains questionable with a back problem.

The game will feature two of the top scorers of the tournament, David Villa of Spain with five and Germany’s Miroslav Klose with four.

Loew said they were too different players to compare, “but both have shown great finishing qualities.”

— The Associated Press

Vergara has a shot

Soccer official Hector Vergara of Winnipeg, Canada’s lone representative at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, has been selected to remain among the final group of officials in South Africa for the last four games of the tournament.

“Today (Monday) was the second release of referees — but Mr. Vergara was not in the group leaving. So he will definitely stay till the end of the tournament,” FIFA spokesman Urs Honauer said in an email to the Free Press.

Vergara has worked as an assistant referee in games on June 14 and 25.

The decisions as to the officiating crews for the third-place game and championship final will be made after the semifinals have concluded.