SPIEGEL'S World Cup Blog Comeback for Kahn?
When German coach Jürgen Klinsmann dropped goalkeeping legend Oliver Kahn shortly before the World Cup tournament began, the decision caused an earthquake in the German football realm and the reverberations were felt throughout the country. A German soccer team without Oliver Kahn was like eating a bratwurst without the mustard: for many Germans unthinkable. It was assumed Kahn, Bayern Munich's larger-than-life goalkeeper, would decline a seat on the substitutes bench, such was the shame the 36-year-old felt at being dropped. But he stuck with the team, gritted his teeth and even managed a smile from time to time.
Now his grace and sportsmanlike behavior may be rewarded. Germany meets Portugal in the third place play-off on Saturday, and Germany's goalkeeping coach Andreas Köpke has hinted Kahn may get to start the game. "There's a good chance that Oliver will play," he said, describing the switch as an "enormous gesture" to Kahn for the past seven weeks in which he has behaved as a model professional. Jens Lehmann, who has kept goal for Germany in all of its World Cup games so far, gave his blessing to the plan. "If the coaches think that he should play, I will accept that," he said. "He has conducted himself exemplary during this World Cup, including towards me," he added.
There has been no love lost between Kahn and Lehmann for years as they fought for the top spot in goal and when the tournament began Kahn looked forlorn on the substitutes bench. But during Germany's quarter-final against Argentina, Kahn was one of the first to encourage Lehmann ahead of the penalty shootout and he promptly congratulated hi on his penalty saves which won the game for the home nation. It seemed as if all was forgiven. So, when Germany takes the field against Portugal in Stuttgart Saturday, Oliver Kahn may make his final appearance in a Germany jersey. But the question remains: Will Kahn accept a place in a consolation match? The goalie is famous for his sharp temper and huge pride and may not take kindly to being offered the wooden spoon. Watch this space...
-- Chris Bryant 3.30 p.m. CET
What's the Point of a Third Place Match?
The question is posed once every four years, but it's worth asking again: Why do we need a play-off for third and fourth place in the World Cup? The game must be the most irrelevant on the sporting calendar. It is contested by two teams fresh from a crushing semi-final defeat, denied the chance of glory in the World Cup final. It's a curtain raiser to the main event, a sideshow, the antithesis of competitive sport in which winner takes all. T.S Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" said it best. Prufrock confesses "I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be; Am an attendant lord, one that will do to swell a progress, start a scene or two." Should two of the World Cup's strongest teams, Portugal and Germany, be reduced to playing second fiddle, scrambling for the scraps thrown from the master's table?
FIFA certainly thinks so. Markus Siegler, the group's representative on earth, told a news conference yesterday, "There's still a high value in that match If you speak to players, for them it still matters whether they finish third or fourth. This particular case, in which we have the German team involved, I'm pretty sure this will be another great match. There's still prestige, it's still about the team knowing 'we finished third on the field of play.'"
Prestige? He has to be joking. Ask any diehard football fan and they will talk passionately and in hushed tones about the great World Cup finals, the heart stopping semis and famous, battling quarter-final encounters. But they won't even remember the third place play-off fixtures and worse still, they don't care. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia, seems to think it matters though. Its FIFA World Cup page lists the results of all the World Cup finals and third/fourth place playoffs since the tournament began. So, luckily I can inform you that in 2002 Turkey beat South Korea 3-2. Four years earlier Croatia beat Netherlands 2-1. And, in 1994 Sweden thrashed Bulgaria 4-0. Remember any of these games? No, neither do I. The only pattern seems to be for the games to be relatively high scoring (France beat W. Germany 6-3 in 1958). With the pressure off, teams can play free flowing attacking football and risk everything in pursuit of victory. But then again, a cynic would suggest the high scores are the result of defenses which frankly don't give two hoots about the final result.
FIFA won't abolish the play-off for third place for one important reason. An extra game means extra revenues, from ticket sales but more importantly, from advertising. Without a game in between, there would be the danger that fans whose teams were not competing might lose interest between the semis and the final. So, Saturday's charade in Stuttgart, when Germany will take on Portugal, will remain on the sporting calendar. Fortunately, at least nobody will remember it ever happened.
-- Chris Bryant, 4.30 p.m. CET
CLICK HERE FOR YESTERDAY'S WORLD CUP BLOG
