Germans' fitness makes them formidable force

[skyvia]

As an Englishman, Ben Lyttleton has found it difficult to resist the temptation of dwelling upon England's disastrous World Cup campaign. However, he's tried his best and has been talking to a few key figures about what the English team can learn from the Germans.

The year may be different and the continent may have changed but it's the same old story for England, with another foreign coach making desperate excuses for another pitiful World Cup exit, with most of the explanations focusing upon the players' fatigue.

In 2002, when Brazil defeated England, Sven-Goran Eriksson used tiredness as a handy excuse and this year, we've seen a shell-shocked Fabio Capello do exactly the same: "The players weren't very fresh and a winter break would do them good".

In their second round clash with Germany at the weekend, England looked lethargic and sluggish compared to their opponents, with the Germans mounting counter-attack upon counter-attack to ruthless effect. However, this German side contained no less than five players who appeared for double-winners and Champions League finalists Bayern Munich last season, with three players (Phillip Lahm, Thomas Muller, and Bastian Schweinsteiger) making over 60 appearances. Frank Lampard was the only player for England to reach the 60-game mark.

A number of England players picked up injuries midway through the season and the time away from the game was meant to be an advantage at the World Cup with the unexpected recovery time. However, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole, and Steven Gerrard looked just as tired as every other player. You can compare this to the fates of Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, who between them scored only five goals in the Bundesliga last season in over 50 appearances but managed to score in Germany's 4-0 win over Australia in their opening game and again in the defeat of England. In 2006, Klose won the Golden Boot and is currently priced at 25.0 (+2400) to do the same this year, with Podolski 50.0 (+4900).

No doubt the bitching and debate about England's untimely exit will run for many months but the German captain has provided a handy clue about the difference between the two teams: "We have good fitness coaches who have prepared us, not for three games, but for the whole tournament".

What Lahm isn't admitting is that those coaches worked with the German players throughout the domestic season. In fact, in my opinion, the most important difference between the two nations was the relationship between their respective national federations and their clubs. In South Africa, Germany's backroom staff includes a trio of Americans from Athletes Performance, the company ridiculed four years ago when it was leaked that their methods included archery, watch-making, and tractor-pulling.

Back then, each player was provided with an individualized training regime to cover a two year span that was designed to peak at the tournament. This paid off in the end, with Germany making more tackles than any other team, suffering fewer injuries, and scoring late goals in crucial victories over both Poland and Argentina.

This time around, German coach Jogi Löw has increased the influence of Athletes Performance. Performance manager, Shad Forsythe, lives in Germany throughout the year and has formed a close bond with every player and club. Meanwhile, Benjamin Kugel, who is also the fitness coach for Werder Bremen, is in South Africa for the sole reason of getting the best out of exciting young playmaker Mesut Özil, who was outstanding against England. Finally, Masa Sakihana is a fitness analyst who has been working closely with strikers Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski.

Founder of Athletes Performance, Mark Verstegen, has been quoted as saying: "Traditionally there is tension between national teams and club teams because the goals are not aligned, but we have created a culture for all Bundesliga clubs to work together to evolve and support the players. Shad lives in Germany to work and interact with each club so there is a more seamless transition working in the players' best interests. One of the things we identified early, in this logic chain of sustainable performance, is in order to have the players at their peak for the national team, they needed optimal environments and communication at the club where they spend the majority of their time. Even the biggest names have said their careers have been changed by us".

At the moment, Germany are 3.45 (+245) to beat Argentina, who are 2.42 (+142), but it may be worth keeping a close eye on the Method of Victory market, where Germany are 11.0 (+1000) to win after extra-time. Germany have the youngest team in their World Cup history since way back in 1934, but the fitness of their older players also seems superior at the moment.