Germany Squad Report: Loew's squad wary of Brazilian fouls

The German national team at Campo Bahia conducted a press conference in the late afternoon on Sunday before training in the setting sun. The team flies to Belo Horizonte on Monday for their final preparations for Tuesday’s semifinal against Brazil.

The presser featuring Bastian Schweinsteiger and Hans Flick didn’t exactly calm fears the match could be a potential hackfest. Schweini in particular sounded a warning:

''I am all for a healthy hardness but some of Brazil's fouls were over the limit. Brazilians are not only football magicians, hard tackling is part of their game - we have to be careful and so does the referee.''

This follows words of encouragement on Saturday from Lothar Matthaus involving Germany’s newfound pragmatism after their more dynamic approach in 2010. Lukas Podolski also reminded media that the national team is under no obligation to entertain neutrals: “It doesn’t matter how many skills you perform before you score a goal – it is only important to end the game with a victory.”

In any case there is a growing sense that with Thiago Silva and Neymar Jr. both definitely out, and with Jogi Loew’s convincing, if boring, tactical set up, that Germany enter the match heavy favourites to make the final. The green stars of 2010 are now grown up, the defense among Germany’s greatest assets next to its incredibly deep midfield. Strikers, particularly with Miroslav Klose’s practical invisibility against France, are an afterthought. Germany is about dominating possession and squeezing out any danger in their own end.

It’s all reminiscent of the winning German sides of old—West Germany last won a World Cup in 1990. This will be a relief to fans of Die Mannschaft, and perhaps reason to worry for neutrals hoping the final stages of the World Cup will provide as much entertainment as the early ones.

Fixtures/Results

Group G — June 16 — Germany 4-0 Portugal

Group G — June 22 — Germany 2-2 Ghana

Group G — June 26 — United States 0-1 Germany

Round of 16 — June 30 — Germany 2-1  Algeria aet.

Quarterfinal — July 4 — France 0-1 Germany

Semifinal — July 8 — Brazil vs. Germany

Squad News/Rumors/Injury Report

It appears all members of the team who had been suffering from flu-like symptoms have fully recovered.

Three Quick Notes

1. Jurgen Klopp gives his two cents on Germany’s chances and is maybe the only German football manager on earth to predict an open game against Brazil.

2. The referee who missed Luis Suarez biting Giorgio Chiellini will take the Brazil vs. Germany game.

3. Rupert Fryer on why Willian might be Germany’s biggest headache in light of Neymar absence.