Finding a German fan to preview England v Germany for Salut! Sunderland was not as easy as you’d think. A bit like looking for someone from Stoke City. Even Thomas Hauser failed to respond. I was almost reduced to popping to the supermarket or beach a mile from me in the south of France: loads to be found there. In the nick of time, someone came back from a Facebook site called Deutschland/German/Allemagne, where Germany and England fans have been trading insults but perfectly nice people lurk too. So thanks to Susanne Dornheim, even if reading this introduction will have taken longer than it will to peruse her short, sharp replies …
Salut! Sunderland: England 4 West Germany 2. Germany 1 England 5. But lots of German wins, too. What is it to be this time?
I hope Germany will win I think we have a real chance
Encounters between our countries are invariably preceded by torrents of taunts, insults and Germanophobia from the tabloid press in Britain, naturally harking back to the war. What do you make of this – and does your media get up to anything similar in return?
I think this sucks, because the war is over for over 60 years and we are now political and economical partners. Our media don’t get up to anything similar.
What do you think of the World Cup so far: the 2006 finalists both eliminated, smaller footballing nations often doing well?
I think the first games often were boring, but it´s getting better now with more goals
And how do you assess Germany’s performances, and England’s in the group stage?
Honestly I found England wasn’t doing well in the first two games. Germany played a fantastic first game against Australia, but than it became curt and in the last game we had to be afraid that we (might) miss our eighth final!
Which of our players worry you and which do you feel are overrrated? Have you ever heard of Darren Bent?
I´ve never heard of Darrent Bent.I worry a little bit about Rooney.
Which Germans pose the greatest threat to England’s hopes of advancing in the tournament?
I think Poldi could become a danger or Özil, Mauel Neuer or Philipp Lahm.
Do you honestly believe Germany will win the World Cup? If not Germany, who would you LIKE to win and who do you think WILL win?
I’m not sure, but I don´t count on the victory
What is your verdict on the standard of refereeing in the group stage, and have players been less or more prone to cheating – diving, feigning injury, shirt pulling, deliberate obstruction, tryinng to get opponents Yellow or Red carded – than you expected?
I think there were too many red and yellow cards!
Do Germans, like many English people, support their clubs more passionately than the country? Which club do you support, and how actively?I think both teams should be supported with the same passion. I support FC Nürnberg and sing fans’ songs passionately,
How and where will you follow Sunday’s game and what will be the score?I’ll watch it in a public viewing square in my hometown on a big LCD-screen. I think we will win 1:0
* Susanne Dornheim on Susanne Dornheim: I’m 24 years old, single and live with my parents. I am a football fan since 2002 and attended a cup final 2007 and two international matches.
Interview:
Colin Randall
It’s over 11 hours. 711 minutes to be precise since Wayne Rooney scored for England. Should he be dropped or will he be the man to overcome the hex that Germany have over England?
What a game. What a heartbreaker. But a good result. I’m glad it wasn’t decided on penalties.
I really hope the Africans are Ghana win.
They’ve done everything they needed to do to get back. And all credit to Kingston for keeping them at bay. If Germany and England can put on half as good a show tomorrow, it’ll be a good game. This one is a GREAT game and it could still very easily go either way. Mensah (John, not Jonathan) is doing very well.
He’s a little unreliable to me, His clanger against Australia was worse than Green’s. Nevertheless he has been effective for them. If he is put under increasing and more frequent pressure then it might be a different story. I wouldn’t really want to see him step into Craig Gordon’s shoes if he was injured.
The USA have a lot to do to get back in this game. The Ghanaian lads are so fast into the tackle but are moving the ball about very well and seem to be able to do what they want going forward.
Good thing I didn’t have money on it! Mind you, the USA always seem to start slow and may well come back. They have some work to do, though. The commentator said Ghana’s goalie, Kingston, is widely rated as the best in Africa. But he doesn’t seem to have a very safe pair of hands. He rarely gets hold of the ball cleanly first time.
I don’t know where they’ve all gone. Never mind we can man the fort. Wonderful display from the Black Stars. The fact that Big John has had so little to do tells its own tale.
The USA need to square up in the midfield otherwise they are going out. One of the best first halves we’ve seen. Tremendous stuff. Altidore looks more and more like Emile Ivanhoe every time he turns out.
It’s mostly down to Jeremy and me. We seem to be the only two with any sustained interest in the tournament as a whole and as a talking point.
I hope Schweinsteiger is match-fit. He has the beating of Lampard. I imagine Mesut Özil will be a major target for English ankle-taps. Jangling nerves could work in the Germans’ favour if they can channel that energy.
I don’t expect to see another Jabulani ball (except maybe in a museum) after this World Cup.
mind, young Susanne must be chuffed about how many responses her piece attracted. Even if Darrent Bent is a mystery to her (and to Darren) come to that.
I see that Schweinsteiger hasn’t trained for a couple of days with a thigh muscle problem. Interesting that they are carrying a few injury problems. Cacau is out although from what I’ve seen of him I’d much rather he played than Klose who is the danger man for them. A lot of young kids in the German team. Loew says that 20 year old Toni Kroos might start. Last 16 of the World Cup at that age. The nerves could well be janging.
“H’way the Yanks!”
Aye, I was pleased to see you say that Bill. It’s about time that we disagreed on something on here! 🙂
They’ve just announced on CBC that FIFA are going to take a loot at the Jabulani ball.
Given the fact that there are no merchandising deals in place with Adidas et they will no doubt remove the ball from play and resort to using the footballs we used previously. I’m off to Sportchek to take the bairn’s ball back and get my $30 refunded. I bet there’ll be a queue out the door down there.
If ever there was a story that was a load of balls, then it was this one!
I don’t suppose the Uruguayans will ever relax again with a 1-goal lead, the way they did today. I wonder if they’ll change keepers; Lugano must have something to say about him. The rain is certainly an added factor but I don’t ever remember seeing it quite as relentless as it’s been in South Africa. Me, I wanna see the Americans make it at least to the quarter finals. I wouldn’t put money on them but…. ha’way the Yanks!
I thought the rain made it really interesting. Great second goal. Poor defending for the Korean goal. I don’t like the Uruguayan keeper at all. No communication or trust in his captain Lugano who is a good defender. Poor handling of the wet Jabulani nearly gave them a second goal. I’ve an increasing feeling that Big John’s lads will cause an upset against our neighbours. I sincerely hope it happens. H’way the Black Stars!
That came close to being an upset and Uruguay would’ve had no one to blame but themselves. Good result, though. Teams are finally managing to control the Jabulani ball.
Has there ever been a World Cup with so much rain?
Jeez, talk about speaking too soon…. About 30 seconds too soon!
Yeah, Uruguay have totally outplayed them so far. I’m rather disappointed. Okay, maybe it’ll be a Uruguay-Paraguay final!
I’m going for the Uruguayan in this one, even more so now that they are a goal ahead The Koreans are really poor. Uruguay could win the tournament I think. Forlan is the best forward player in the competition. Shame he didn’t come to Sunderland when Keane went for him eh?
Bookies have the US as favourites to take Ghana, unsurprisingly although I would love to see Big John lead his men to the last eight. The prospect of the USA becoming a genuine force in world football makes me shudder. They will want to divide the game into quarters and double the size of the goal before we know it.
I don’t like the sound of this ref Bill. You can almost sense that this game will be decided by some controversial incident. Games between England & Germany rarely pass into history quietly.
Let’s see South Korea stick it to Uruguay first, which could be on the cards today. The Koreans are 90-minute runners; they never stop. What price a Korea-Japan final? (Yeah, I know — Paraguay will take care of Japan next week).
Dunno if Ghana are good enough to get past the U.S.A. This is heresy coming from a Canadian (we’re still seeing more North Korean than American World Cup flags in Toronto) but I hope Landon Donovan, however weird Pete thinks he is, and his team go through. And then tomorrow Germany can set about putting England on the plane home.
After that, Spain v Portugal and Chile v Brazil coming up, with everyone finally firing on all cylinders. Some good football in the offing. I only hope the standard of officiating is equally high. But, given some of the incomprehensible decisions we’ve seen, you have to fear the worst.
Tomorrow, for instance, I believe Germany and England are at the tender mercies of Jorge Larrionda, whose record over the past few years includes awarding five penalties in one game and sending off six players in another. According to my friend and former colleague Cathal Kelly (covering the World Cup for the Toronto Star), Larionda was appointed as a referee in the 2002 tournament and then almost immediately, and without explanation, suspended for six months.
Let’s just hope one side or the other tomorrow don’t find themselves playing with 12 men.
Never mind all this hoo-ha, let’s focus on tonights game and hope that Big John Mensah can lead Ghana to the Quarter Finals.
He has looked good so far, but every time he goes down, you fear for him.
Interesting to see Chile reincarnating the spirit of The Battle of Santiago c.1962 in last nights game against Spain. And great to see Iniesta back on form. Spain’s answer to Shaun Cunnington is one of my favourite players EVER!!!!