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'We will win' Germans confident as England sweats Beckham injury
Updated: Wednesday August 29, 2001 11:51 AM
LONDON (AP) -- While the Germans look at it as just another game, the English are treating Saturday's qualifying showdown in Munich as big as the World Cup final itself. Maybe it's all a matter of confidence. Rudi Voeller's team needs just a point to guarantee finishing top of Group 9 to qualify for the finals for the 13th time in a row. In 60 World Cup qualifying games, the Germans have lost just once, and that was when it had already made it to the finals anyway. "We will win the game," standout goalkeeper Oliver Khan said. "Teams don't beat Germany in World Cup qualifying games and they certainly don't beat us at home. "We are very relaxed and, although a draw would be enough for us, we intend to win." England, having lost to the Germans at Wembley last October, has to win. Sven-Goran Eriksson's team has to become the first visiting team to triumph on German soil in qualifying competition to stop Voeller's team from winning the group. Six points behind, England would also then have to win its game in hand to draw level. Then it all goes down to the final round of games October 6. From Kahn to Voeller to former great Franz Beckenbauer, the Germans have been trying to play down the significance of Saturday's game at the Olympic stadium to keep the pressure off a team that has not been playing that well. By contrast, the English papers have been hyping the game for weeks. The injury scare involving team captain David Beckham, who has been unable to train because of a groin problem he suffered playing for Manchester United on Sunday, has been getting regular updates on radio and TV. "David is having intensive treatment over the next couple of days and that starts today back at the team hotel," England spokesman Paul Newman said on Wednesday. "He is in good spirits and wanting to give it everything to try and be fit for the game on Saturday." The reason for the massive publicity here is that Germany vs. England has such a storied history. The great rivalry effectively started with the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley when England triumphed 4-2 in extra time helped by a goal the Germans still say shouldn't have been given. Geoff Hurst's second goal struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced back out of the goal. After consulting the linesman, the referee awarded a goal and Hurst went on to become the first -- and only -- player to score a World Cup final hat trick. Four years later, the Germans hit back, coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 in the World Cup quarterfinal in Mexico, ending England's run as world champion. The two teams met again at the 1972 European Championship quarterfinal at Wembley. The Germans gave England a soccer lesson in a 3-1 victory on the way to winning the title. The next big meeting was at the 1990 World Cup semifinal in Turin, Italy, where the Germans triumphed in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 tie and went on to win the title. Six years later came another semifinal, another 1-1 tie and another shootout. The Germans won that, too, to reach the European Championship final where they beat the Czech Republic. Germany and England were also grouped together at Euro 2000 and this time England ended the run of losses to its great rival with a 1-0 victory at Charleroi, Belgium, a game marred by fan violence by the English followers. But the Germans went to Wembley four months later to start their World Cup 2002 campaign and beat England 1-0 in the final game to be staged at the famous old stadium. Just minutes after that loss, Kevin Keegan quit as England coach and now the team has its first foreign coach, Sweden's Eriksson. Defeat on Saturday wouldn't be a disaster because England would still be a strong favorite to gain the runners-up spot and a place in the playoffs. Eriksson doesn't want the team to think that way. "We must think about winning," the Swede said. "It's automatic, they will be up for it. It's a big, big game and we have reason to be confident. "Man for man, with a full choice of players, I think it is very equal at this level not only with Germany but with [World Cup holder] France." Beckham is vital to England's chances of winning the game. His accurate, long passes and crosses from the right regularly lead to goalscoring chances and he is an expect scorer from free kicks from outside the penalty area. If Beckham is fit to play, he will form a talented nucleus of Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and Michael Owen. If all four are on their game, England has a good chance of beating the Germans. England staying near beer hallLONDON -- Shock! Horror! The British media had a field day Wednesday over England's choice of hotel for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Germany in Munich. England's team will stay at a five-star hotel located just 15 meters (yards) from the famous Hofbrauhaus beer drinking hall. The Germans, meanwhile, are staying in a tranquil hotel in the countryside with a 500-meter (yard) exclusion zone, 37 kilometers (60 miles) from the Bavarian capital. The tabloids were suitably outraged that noise from the pub would keep the England players from having a good night's sleep. "It's one-nil to the Germans," said The Express in a front-page headline. "The hotel had been highly recommended by ... the German Football Association," the paper said. "And last night it was obvious that the score was already one-nil to the home team who will relax before Saturday's match at a secluded country location." The Sun suggested that England had been tricked into booking the hotel. It said soccer hooligans would use the Hofbrauhaus, the site of an abortive coup by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler 78 years ago, as a base. The Mirror said the recommendation to stay at the hotel was akin to "putting the Germans in the middle of Piccadilly Circus." The Daily Mail was more worried about the temptation the beer hall would pose to England soccer players -- who have a history of enjoying nights on the town and drinking before major soccer tournaments. "After those past indiscretions, who chose a hotel 15 feet from a bierkeller?" it asked. The hotel involved, the Mandarin Oriental, said no noise would be heard if the windows were kept shut. "I don't think there will be any problems at all," said hotel manager Susanne Hatje. "We've had several teams here for the Champions League in Munich, and official government visitors such as Prince Charles." The English Football Association played down the flap. "We're happy with our choice of hotel," said FA spokesman Paul Newman. "This hotel is a first class establishment. It's been used by top European teams playing Bayern Munich -- Real Madrid, Manchester United have stayed there. We don't have a problem with it." Ricken should be fitMUNICH, Germany -- Germany midfielder Lars Ricken had to break off Wednesday's practice -- after his left foot became stuck in the grass as he attempted to kick the ball. Team doctors said Ricken, who plays for Borussia Dortmund, would be fine for the match. Defender Christian Woerns of Dortmund, defender Sebastian Kehl of Freiburg, defender Marco Rehmer of Hertha Berlin and striker Oliver Bierhoff also received small hits and knocks during training, but nothing serious. Company marks match with 'virtual' World War IILONDON -- A computer software company is marking the latest England vs. Germany match with a "virtual" World War II over the Internet. The tournament will recreate the battlefields of Europe in the "Sudden Strike" game. It begins Saturday with England against Germany, mirroring the World Cup qualifier. England fans have a tendency to chant "two World Wars and one World Cup" during matches against Germany. A German rebuttal suggested by The Telegraph newspaper Wednesday made fun of the troubled British health system: "Twice as many hospital beds and three times as many World Cups." Germans start soft with securityLONDON -- German police will take a softly-softly approach to England soccer fans trying to get last minute tickets to Saturday's game. Counselors, rather than police, will be used to placate the 2,000 supporters traveling to Munich without a ticket, London's Evening Standard newspaper reported Wednesday. "Fans arriving over the next few days without tickets would be a problem and for that situation we have 30 police officers specially trained in discussion and dealing with frustration," Munich police spokesman Peter Reichl told the paper. "Normally when we have demonstrations with difficult groups we take these police officers along and they discuss the situations with them. We have found them to be very effective in calming people down." But if the situation gets out of hand, the traditional approach of police units with dogs and on horses will be ready to take control.
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