WORLD CUP USA ’94 / ROUND OF 16 : Germans Not Hitting on All Cylinders Yet : Second round: Defending champions struggling on and off field as they prepare for Belgium today.
Chug, chug.
The Germans have sputtered down this World Cup road before. Remember, this is a soccer team with a history of slow starts and fast finishes.
Appearing uninspired at times, Germany has nevertheless landed in the round of 16 and is four victories removed from an unprecedented fourth World Cup title.
“We’re like a diesel motor,” defender Juergen Kohler said. “It takes a while to get it warmed up.”
Yet, there are signs of engine wear.
Germany did not raise many pulses in grinding out opening-round victories over Group C weaklings Bolivia and South Korea, and tying Spain.
Often whining about the heat--if you can’t stand it, get out of the kueche --the Germans are perhaps starting to show their average age of 29.4 years. They hobble into today’s match against Belgium at Soldier Field with an injured captain, Lothar Matthaeus, a one-man offense, Juergen Klinsmann, and a shell-shocked goalkeeper, Bodo Illgner.
Also, theirs apparently is a house divided over the ouster of midfielder Stefan Effenberg, sent home by Coach Berti Vogts for making an obscene gesture to German fans after the team’s game against South Korea last Monday.
Vogts left no room for negotiations, which upset some players, including captain Matthaeus.
“We would have argued with the football federation, but they gave us such a strong impression, that if the players protested, the president surely would have withdrawn the team from the whole tournament,” Matthaeus told German reporters.
Effenberg has sold exclusive rights to his story to a German tabloid, Sport Bild, for about $38,000.
Vogts can only wait for the headline: “Effenberg: Germany Should Say ‘Bye-Bye Berti.’ ”
Known as “the Terrier” for his tenacious play as a former German defender, Vogts, 47, is a no-nonsense coach who must know he will never command the respect players and media have for his legendary predecessor, Franz Beckenbauer, who coached Germany to the 1990 World Cup title.
It cannot help matters that Beckenbauer is constantly lurking about, undermining Vogts somewhat with bold predictions about Germany’s imminent World Cup victory.
“He should not be taken seriously,” Vogts said, trying to temper the hype. “There have been disappointments before. We have lost games.”
On the field, Germany has a few concerns:
--Matthaeus, the team’s heart and soul, had to leave the South Korea game after being spiked on his left foot. “Hopefully, he will be ready for Saturday,” Vogts said.
--Klinsmann. The team’s top striker has scored four of Germany’s five goals, not exactly what you would call offensive balance. It remains unclear whether anyone else is capable of picking up the slack.
--Illgner. The goalkeeper almost blew a 3-0 lead to South Korea and there was talk he might be replaced for the Belgium match.
Vogts, however, has given him the dreaded vote of confidence.
“We shouldn’t talk about the past,” Vogts said. “Bodo is our goalie.”
