Typical Germany: A Nation With Held Breath

By Darshan Joshi, writing from Australia

Sir Alex Ferguson probably got it spot on when he bitterly labelled Bayern Munich ‘typical Germans’, and a couple of days before the Champions League final blandly stated “We (Manchester United) should be there because we were the better team…Bayern have carried a lot of luck…” Now, with nothing seemingly going for the Germans, would it be time for Lady Luck to shine ever so brightly on them (again)? How about in typically German fashion too?

The major concern for Joachim Löw is who will step in for Michael Ballack in the centre of the park. He is the star of that team, the heartbeat, the engine, the legend, and most importantly, the leader. The one man the team would turn to when things were going awry. The one man who caused oxygen levels across Germany to diminish drastically the moment the extent of his injury was revealed. At 33, this would have been his third World Cup, but the Gods had other plans. Or at least Kevin-Prince Boateng did.