Nigeria Content Online

Germany will today
commence their quest for a first world title in 20 years with a game
against Australia in Durban in an encounter the European side are
expected win.

Not that the
Australians are football paperweights; far from that. But after a
respectable showing at the last World Cup, the football world probably
knows everything the Socceroos are capable of.

“I think we
surprised a lot of teams at the last World Cup. Obviously it’s
difficult a second time around,” recalled Harry Kewell who was one of
the stars of the Aussie team in Germany four years ago when they made
it to the second round before losing to eventual champion Italy 1-0
after a disputed injury-time penalty.

Now, opponents are
“a lot more wary of the players we have, everyone knows the players
individually,” the 31-year-old forward said before adding, “I’m quite
sure now a lot more teams have focused on what we’re capable of doing,
and, yeah, it’s going to be very difficult for us.” It sure looks set
to be a difficult game for the Australians especially if the likes of
Lukas Podolski and Marko Marin have a good day. Both players are
expected to operate from the wings in coach Joachim Low’s favoured
4-2-3-1 formation with Podolski on the left wing and either Marin or
Mesut Oezil on the right.

Klose or Cacau

Although it remains
uncertain whether Low will stick to Miroslav Klose, the top-scorer at
the last World Cup, as his point man, or the Brazilian born Cacau. Just
like the point man, the wingers are also expected to play a key role in
the German team..

“I think the play from the wings will be dead important, that is our game,” said Marin.

“The Australians
will be playing deep and it will be important to ‘tear them apart’, so
to speak, by putting balls in from the wing.

“It is no problem having a lone striker up front, we just have to make sure he is well fed with possession.”