TEAMS: Germany

Despite the ailing form of the German team over the last 3 years, it would be premature to dismiss their chances in the World Cup as this is a country who always seems to perform when it matters, like their Play-off hammering of the Ukraine for example.
Although the team is perhaps showing a lack of confidence compared with those teams of previous years, the Germans still have some class performers such as Mehmet Scholl, Deitmar Hamann and of course Michael Ballack.
Placed in a tough Group, Germany will need to rediscover their famed organisational skills and sublime teamwork to progress to the knockout stages of the competition. History and tradition are both on their side though as Germany have never failed to make it past the First Round in every FIFA World Cup they have entered.

The Squad

Oliver Kahn Position: GK DOB:15/6/69 Club: B Munich	Jens Lehmann Position: GK DOB:10/11/69 Club: Dortmund	Hans-Jorg Butt Position: GK DOB:31/12/72 Club: Leverkusen
Thomas Linke Position: DF DOB: 26/12/76 Club: B Munich	Marko Rehmer Position: DF DOB:29/4/72 Club: Hertha Berlin	Frank Baumann Position: DF DOB:29/10/75 Club: Werder Bremen
Christian Ziege Position: DF DOB:1/2/72 Club: Tottenham	Sebastian Kehl Position: DF DOB:13/2/80 Club: Dortmund	Christoph Metzelder Position: DF DOB:5/11/80 Club: Dortmund
Carsten Ramelow Position: MID DOB: 20/3/74 Club: Leverkusen	Dietmar Hamann Position: MID DOB:27/8/73 Club: Liverpool	Lars Ricken Position: MID DOB:10/7/76 Club: Dortmund
Michael Ballack Position: MID DOB:26/9/76 Club: B Munich	Jens Jeremies Position: MID DOB:5/3/74 Club: B Munich	Jorg Boehme Position: MID DOB:22/1/74 Club: Schalke 04
Bernd Schneider Position: MID DOB:17/11/73 Club: Leverkusen	Torsten Frings Position: MID DOB:22/11/76 Club: Werder Bremen	Oliver Neuville Position: MID DOB:1/5/73 Club: Leverkusen
Carsten Jancker Position: MID DOB:28/8/74 Club: B Munich	Miroslav Klose Position: FW DOB:9/6/78 Club: Kaiserslaurten	Gerald Asamoah Position: FW DOB:3/10/78 Club: Schalke 04
Marco Bode Position: FW DOB:23/7/69 Club: Werder Bremen	Oliver Bierhoff Position: FW DOB:1/5/68 Club: Monaco

KEY: (GK-Goalkeeper, DF-Defender, MID-Midfield, FW-Forward)
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