There are high hopes in the German camp but there is a real threat lurking in the group, writes Matt Spiro
AS EVER, Germany begin their campaign with high hopes of going all the way to the final, but the three-time world champions will need to hit their straps early after being pooled in a highly dangerous section.
Both Ghana and Australia reached the knockout stage last time and possess competitive teams again, while debutants Serbia looked impressive in qualifying and could easily upset the established order.
The eastern European team are World Cup novices only in name. Many of their players boast experience with Yugoslavia or Serbia and Montenegro. In Radomir Antic they possess one of the canniest coaches around. In such a tight-looking section, the reassuring presence of the former Real Madrid and Barcelona manager could prove decisive.
The 61-year-old Serb continues to pull off remarkable feats. He remains one of only two men to have managed both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and even guided traditional underachievers Atletico Madrid to a domestic double in 1996.
Antic turned down repeated offers to coach Serbia before finally accepting the pleas of FA president Tomislav Karadzic in 2008. Despite his outstanding CV, the appointment was seen as a gamble. Antic had been out of soccer for four years and arrived at a critical time. Serbian soccer was riddled with corruption and violence and supporters were boycotting matches in protest. In-fighting frequently hampered Yugoslav teams of the past and at the 2006 World Cup Serbia and Montenegro’s bid was blighted by accusations of nepotism when coach Ilija Petkovic replaced the Roma striker Mirko Vucinic with his son.
Not surprisingly Antic has prioritised team building and Serbia will travel to South Africa with a happy squad for once. “We’ve strengthened the collective spirit, created a cult of the national team, built healthy internal relations and made good contacts with fans,” said the trainer.
The Antic effect has been dramatic. Serbia stormed to top spot in qualifying, condemning France to the play-offs. The team is built around a powerful spine that includes Premier League defenders Nemanja Vidic and Branislav Ivanovic, Inter’s evergreen midfielder Dejan Stankovic and Birmingham’s new giant striker Nikola Zigic.
One of the few teams still playing in a 4-4-2 with genuine wingers – the Liverpool-bound Milan Jovanovic on the left and CSKA Moscow’s Milos Krasic on the right – Antic’s side should be worth watching.
Their opening contest against Ghana will reveal much. Like Serbia, the west Africans have plenty of talent but remain an unknown quantity at the highest level. Their Serbian coach, Milovan Rajevac, impressed with his shrewd tactics at the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite missing their best defender John Mensah and star midfielders Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah, Ghana exceeded expectations by reaching the final.
They did so thanks largely to an exceptional batch of young players. Centre-back Issac Vorsah and midfielders Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Andre Ayew and Kwadwo Asamoah all excelled in Angola having graduated from Ghana’s 2009 Under-20 World Cup-winning side, and they will be pushing hard for starting places this summer.
Australia boss Pim Verbeek would love to have such a talented generation at his disposal. The Dutchman doesn’t, however, and instead must rely on virtually the same players that reached the last 16 in Germany. Although Mark Viduka has stepped aside, they remain an ageing team overly reliant on Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Everton’s free-scoring midfielder Tim Cahill and forward Harry Kewell, who has enjoyed a renaissance with Galatasaray. “A point, if not three, is a necessity in the opening match against Germany,” claimed former international Craig Foster. Should they manage that the section will be wide open, and Germany could be vulnerable.
Without the injured Michael Ballack, Joachim Low will ask mainstays Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger to take on extra responsibility. There are concerns in attack too, though, with neither Miroslav Klose nor Mario Gomez playing regularly for Bayern Munich, and Lukas Podolski out of form with Cologne. Germany usually hit form at the right time and should have enough ability to survive the group. This time, however, the margin for error is tiny.
Our call on Group D
1st:Germany
2nd: Serbia