Germany ready, confident ahead of World Cup

PRETORIA - German national team coach Joachim Loew said Wednesday that his side is fully prepared and confident heading into its opening match of the 2010 World Cup football against Australia.

“We have done everything we can. We can’t do anything more. I have a calm conscious and a good feeling about my team,” Loew told a press conference in Pretoria.

“We had a few injuries to deal with. It was a small shock with (Michael) Ballack and (Christian) Traesch going down. But we dealt with them and are looking forward.”

Loew is anxiously awaiting how his young team plays against Australia on Sunday in Durban in the Group D opener. But he does not see youth as a major hurdle in his team’s chances.

“Even some older players do not have the experience in big moments. But you could see that the young players here have the ability and the confidence for the World Cup. Experience only plays a minor role,” said Loew, who is looking to become the first German to win the World Cup in his initial finals appearance as head coach

And the future is very, very bright for Germany, the coach said.

“This team is young with the ability to develop. Many players will not reach their peak in many years. Players like (Bastian) Schweinsteiger and (Philipp) Lahm are even more valuable now even though they are still young. The future belongs to this team.”

Loew at the same time said his team will not underestimate Australia, knowing all too well that the Socceroos were a hair from knocking out the eventual 2006 World Cup champs Italy in the Round of 16.

“We have a lot of respect for Australia. They play very discipline and strong order,” said Loew.

“It’s like pulling teeth playing them. They have unbelievable passion and top organisation. And they are very physical and top motivated.

“But our players will be confident.”

German football legend Franz Beckenbauer admitted that Loew’s team is missing the big personality since the injury loss of Ballack. But the former World Cup winner as player and coach said that could turn into a positive.

“It doesn’t have to be a disadvantage. The German team is very balanced. And so it could be an advantage, especially if you saw how they played their last two games (versus Hungary and Bosnia-Herzegovina),” Beckenbauer told the same press conference.

“You don’t really miss a big star if they continue to play like this.”

About Germany’s chances, Beckenbauer added: “I don’t see a dominant team out there. Spain and Brazil are strong. But like Helmut Schoen once said, ‘The others have to beat us first’.”

Loew also addressed veteran striker Miroslav Klose, who turned 32 on Wednesday. When asked if Klose could count on a spot in the starting line-up against Australia, the coach said: “We don’t hand out birthday presents like that.”

But Loew did say Klose is progressing nicely following his subpar season with German double winners and Champions League finalists, Bayern Munich.

“You could see in training that Miro feels a lot better. Sometimes when people do more training on the side the legs get a bit tired.

“But yesterday I saw that he is slowly finding his form and his physical freshness. And he needs that in his game.”