US Training to Aid German World Cup Bid
March 25, 2005
Germany is playing a friendly against Slovenia in Celje on Saturday, but the training hasn't been a walk in the park, even though as hosts, Germany need not qualify for the competition.
German national coach Jürgen Klinsmann believes his team must be one of the fittest in world soccer if they are to achieve their aim of World Cup glory in 2006.
He brought in his own fitness trainers from the United States to get his players into shape with regime of weight-lifting, body fat tests and endless shuttle runs to test their physical condition to the maximum.
Tempo, speed and stamina
"We want to play at a high tempo and put the opposition under pressure to force a mistake," Klinsmann explained. "Over the next few months we will work on tempo, speed and stamina."
The media laughed when German soccer stars, including tough-guy goalie Oliver Kahn, started sprinting with elastic bands holding them back, but the images have become commonplace in the German training camp and no one is getting excited about the new regiment anymore -- even when it takes on a yoga-like flexibility exercise.
Working with Germans an honor
Mark Verstegen, the American who is responsible for much of the team's conditioning, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung working with the German national squad was "a great honor."
Verstegen still has some work ahead of him though. Germany's 2-2 draw against Argentina in February underlined how far Klinsmann's team were in terms of fitness with a frantic tempo set for 70 minutes only for some tired legs to chase shadows as Argentina gave a lesson in the art of keeping possession.
"If it comes to extra-time in the World Cup, fitness levels will be vital," explained Klinsmann's assistant, Joachim Löw. "At the World Cup we may need to be able to play at a high tempo for 120 minutes every three days."
300,000 reasons to win
The players have 300,000 news reasons to work out. That's how many euros ($389,000) they will receive from the German Football Federation (DFB) if they win the final in Berlin on July 9, 2006. The bonus is three times more than was offered for the 2002 World Cup.
Germany's stars will receive 50,000 euros each for reaching the quarter-finals, 100,000 euros for the semi-finals and 150,000 euros for a final appearance in a deal that DFB president Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder said is "strongly geared toward success."
Psychologically, team coach Klinsmann (photo) is also geared toward success. He has already announced his intention of winning next summer's competition on home turf numerous times.
"It is within our grasp," Klinsmann declared. "There is no point in settling for second best."