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End of an era
Germany faces uncertain future
Posted: Sunday July 05, 1998 12:39 PM
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German goalkeeper Andreas Koepke is one of many older players who might not be back (AP) |
NICE, France (AP) --
Juergen Klinsmann, Juergen Kohler, Lothar Matthaeus, possibly Andreas
Koepke, Olaf Thon. The German veterans are retiring, leaving behind them a
big hole and an uncertain future for the shaken powerhouse. No new
generation seems ready to step in and Germany may
face a long drought, at least by its standards. The European champion may
have to go back to the basics of winning games rather than titles.
"We'll have to set our standards lower," former star and national team
coach Franz Beckenbauer told German television. "Times will get even
tougher for us." If the quarterfinal loss to Bulgaria four
years ago in the United
States was considered an accident, Saturday's 3-0 thrashing by World
Cup rookie Croatia exposed
all German weaknesses. Never before had Germany lost two World Cup
quarterfinals in a row. The Germans arrived in France as reigning
European champions, with the aim of winning their fourth World Cup title.
They left empty-handed, dejected and aware that they have fallen behind the
world's best in skill. Their midfield was all but invisible, with
Andy Moeller once again a big disappointment. They displayed
uncharacteristic defensive shortcomings, with even goalkeeper Koepke,
usually a rock of reliability, below his par. The only two who did
their job were Klinsmann and his forward partner Oliver Bierhoff, who had
three goals apiece. The aging team, the oldest in the tournament
with an average age of just under 30, looked old, not only in age but also
in tactics. By the second game, it was painfully visible that the
Germans were very vulnerable. They escaped with a 2-2 draw against Yugoslavia,
after trailing 2-0. The fighting spirit was all that was left. In
the second round against Mexico, only
Bierhoff's late goal clinched a 2-1, come-from-behind victory.
Croatia came in with determination and cleverness and blew Germany away.
The Germans blamed poor refereeing for their loss, after having
defender Christian Woerns sent off in the 40th minute. But few other big
teams collapsed so completely after going a man down. Coach Berti
Vogts, who took over in 1990, after Germany won its last title, made no
immediate decision on whether to stay on. "There have been some very
peculiar decisions against the German team. Maybe there were some
instructions. Perhaps the German soccer was too successful and now had to
be punished," Vogts said Sunday about the refereeing. It was a poor excuse.
Vogts praised his team's "character." "It trained hard and it
fought hard, but it wasn't enough," Vogts said. "We need a new
beginning, we'll have to make a big cut. We want to defend our European
title in 2000." "We'll have to sit down and analyze the situation
without emotion, in traquility," Vogts said. "I'll be thinking about
rebuilding the team without rushing myself, but I must have the players
necessary for that." There are few young German stars on the
horizon. Its junior teams have not won anything for a long time.
Vogts blamed the Bosman ruling for the state of German soccer. By bringing
in cheap foreigners, Bundesliga clubs have neglected young German players,
who are often left on the bench. "We'll have to develop a concept, we
want to put our flagship on the right course again," Vogts said. To
do that, Vogts wants the Bundesliga clubs to accept a a new rule that would
oblige every club to start two German Under-23 players. Asked if he
thought he could get his plan pushed through, Vogts conceded, "With great
difficulty. "If we want to remain among the best in the world, we
should not reject this idea," he said. "Don't be surprised if some
players who are not starters in their clubs are nominated in the national
team," Vogts said. Bierhoff is expected to stay on, but he is
already 30. Thomas Helmer, Thomas Haessler, Stefan Reuter, Ulf
Kirsten and Moeller are all over 30 and thought to be thinking of
retirement. The new era for Germany begins October 10, when it plays
Turkey in its first qualifying game for the 2000 European Championship.
With what lineup is anyone's guess.
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