Germany Qualifies
October 15, 2007
Never before has Germany qualified for a major tournament so quickly, but the goalless tie at Dublin's Croke Park at the weekend was enough for Joachim "Jogi" Löw's team to secure its place at the top of group D, with 23 points from nine matches.
The team, which was without captain Michael Ballack and players Miroslav Klose, Bernd Schneider and Philipp Lahm, didn't play its strongest game against Ireland, but it was still enough to relieve the pressure for the remaining three qualifying round matches.
"It's good for the team that the pressure is now off, and it won't be nerve-racking right up to the final match," Löw said on the German Soccer Federation Web site.
No time for complacency
Löw also warned against anyone sitting back on their laurels now that the team has successfully booked its place for the 2008 tournament.
"The competition on the team has become intense. We've got competition for every position," he said. "The greatest danger is if anyone thinks they can let up now that we've qualified."
Germany's next match is scheduled for Wednesday evening at Munich's World Cup Stadium against the Czech Republic. Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who picked up a yellow card in Dublin at the weekend, will have to sit out Wednesday's game.
"I would have loved to play in Munich," Lehmann said. "I was really looking forward to it."
With or without him, coach Löw has a clear plan of action for the three-time European Champions' next home game. "We're going to go all out to beat the Czech Republic," he said.