Germany is definitely nervous heading into the friendly against U.S…
“It’s a very important game for us,” says German forward Michael Ballack, who scored the goal that eliminated the United States from the 2002 tournament. “It’s a decisive game for our confidence, for the mood in the team.” More from Sports Illustrated on the German fear of failure, or should I say angst?
And I agree with Gerd. If Germany does lose, this is the end of the road for Klinsmann. Beckenbauer will make sure his head will roll.
That said, do we really expect the US to beat Germany?
I don’t. In fact, I think Arena’s team will have to play spectacularly just to keep up with Deutschland.
I hope I’m wrong.
See this article on pre-game anxiety from the BEEB.
Update: fewer than 10% of Germans think they will win the World Cup… Ouch! What happened to home field advantage?