World Cup qualifiers

The German team is hosting the World Cup 2006, so it didn't have to battle its way through a qualifying round. But what appears to be an advantage could potentially have a negative impact. Instead of having to prove themselves in the qualifiers, the Germans could -- with the exception of the Confederations Cup in summer 2005 -- exclusively gain experience in test matches. The team's performance in these games was very diverse and does not necessarily carry great weight.

Stars

The undisputed star of the team is Michael Ballack. The Bayern Munich player doesn't only shine as the team's director, he is at the same time one of the most potent midfielders in the world. Prior to the first 2006 test match on March 1 against Italy, Ballack shot 29 goals in 61 games in his career on the international team. Rudi Völler considers him "the most significant player in Germany," as the former top coach of the German team said in an interview with DW-WORLD.DE. So, it is no wonder that Michael Ballack has been wooed by various top European clubs for months.

Trainer

Jürgen Klinsmann has coached the international team since its early out at the European Cup in 2004, when the Germans had to head home already after the preliminary round. The successor to former striker colleague Rudi Völler uses training methods that some people in the German Football Association (DFB) find unusual. Klinsmann hired a fitness trainer for this sole purpose from the United States, his second home, he prefers unconventional training and communication measures and has also made one or the other disputed personnel decisions. He cut the experienced defender Christian Wörns out of the World Cup squad, for example, after Wörns publicly attacked the coach. Critics can accuse Klinsmann of several things, but certainly not of being inconsistent.

World Cup history

Germany is participating in the World Cup for the fifteenth time.

1934: Third place, 1938: Round of 16, 1954: World Champions, 1958: Fourth place, 1962: Quarter-finals, 1966: Runner-up, 1970: Third place, 1974: World Champions, 1978: Second round, 1982: Runner-up, 1986: Runner-up, 1990: World Champions, 1994: Quarter-finals, 1998: Quarter-finals, 2002: Runner-up

Match schedule: preliminary round

June 9, 2006: Germany -- Costa Rica in Munich

June 14, 2006: Germany -- Poland in Dortmund

June 20, 2006: Ecuador -- Germany in Berlin

World Cup base

The DFB has decided on the German capital Berlin. During the tournament, the Klinsmann troop is living and training in the city hosting the World Cup final.

Outlook

Trainer Jürgen Klinsmann's goal is clear: the World Cup title. The former goal getter has put the yardstick of success extremely high. But what else should he say in the country hosting the World Cup and three-time World Champion? There are also several things, which could contribute to Germany's success in the World Cup. The team wowed spectators during the Confederations Cup with refreshing offensive soccer and young stars like Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski. The Germans did finish third, after all. A further benefit is the home field advantage during the World Cup, which shouldn't be underestimated. If the positive spirit from the Confederations Cup can even roughly be kept alive until the World Cup 2006, it will help the Klinsmann team immensely to get further in the tournament.