Preview: Can Löw’s charges beat Chile?
Germany does not have a good track record when it comes to friendlies. They just do not seem to take friendlies too seriously. Joachim Löw, the man charged with leading the Germans to their first international trophy since Euro 1996, has chosen four debutants. Matthias Ginter of SC Freiburg is one of them. Andre Hahn of FC Augsburg is another.
Pierre-Michel Lasogga has been named as one of only two strikers in the squad alongside veteran Miroslav Klose. His performances have been impressive despite the overall performance of his fledgling team, Hamburger SV. The more surprising pick is perhaps Skhodran Mustafi considering that rarely does a German who does not feature in the Bundesliga get picked in the national side. The youngster features for UC Sampdoria in Italy’s Serie A.
This is what Löw had to say about his new picks according to the Bundesliga’s official website:
“We've been keeping an eye on Shkodran Mustafi and Matthias Ginter in the Under-21s. They completely deserve their place in the squad, as do Pierre-Michel Lasogga and Andre Hahn. I'm looking to forward to getting to know them a little better as members of the full national team.”
Also, Bastian Schweinsteiger has been picked. The influential midfielder has battling with injury for most of the season and only returned recently for FC Bayern. He is edging closer to his best form with every passing match. Likely to stand next to him in midfield is the intelligent Toni Kroos, Bayern’s current creative head.
Löw is obviously delighted about Schweinsteiger’s return as the Bundesliga’s official website found out:
“Bastian is on the right track, as his recent performances for FC Bayern prove. We all know how important he is for our game. He's a world class player who can make a difference in Brazil. I know how hard he's working to be in top shape for the summer and I'm sure he will show his leadership qualities for us again.”
Will Germany be able to beat Chile? Or will Alexis Sanchez and his talented peers spring a surprise?
Where to watch the match: Live Streams, Live Scores, Start Times, TV Channels:
Watch Germany vs. Chile live on Wednesday, March 5, 2014:
In Canada at 14:45 ET on Sportsnet World Online
In the UK at 19:45 GMT on BT Sport 2
In the USA at 14:45 ET on Watch ESPN, ESPN3
Viewers in Germany can tune into ARD Das Erste to watch the match.
For the complete TV listings and live scores upon kick-off, visit the Germany-Chile match page.
