Germany convinced they will overcome the US

By Peter Gibson

GERMANY’S assistant coach Michael Skibbe is convinced the United States will be incapable of springing another World Cup shock in their quarter-final against Germany.

The Americans finished without a single point at the 1998 finals but have won through to the last eight of the tournament here at the expense of traditional footballing powers such as Portugal.

Skibbe said the Americans’ giant-killing antics would come to a grinding halt in Ulsan tomorrow.

“The Americans are very good defensively with Eddie Pope and Tony Sanneh and their main threat in attack comes from Brian McBride.

“But I and the team are convinced that we are going to beat the US,” he said.

Germany reached the last eight by beating Paraguay 1-0 with a late Oliver Neuville goal on Saturday while the US won through with a 2-0 victory over Mexico on Monday.

The Germans were boosted by the return to training on Wednesday of defender Christoph Metzelder who had been struggling with an ankle injury.

German coach Rudi Voller has been rumoured to be considering bringing in giant striker Carsten Jancker to partner the tournament’s top scorer Miroslav Klose in attack in a bid to unsettle a US defence that has conceded six goals in four games.

Germany’s progression to the quarter-finals makes them one of just three former winners, along with Brazil and England, to reach the last eight in a topsy turvy tournament that has seen football’s world order shaken to its roots.

If the Germans beat the Americans, they will move into a semi-final against either Spain or co-hosts South Korea in Seoul on June 25.

Skibbe said the Koreans’ victory over Italy on Tuesday was no fluke.

“South Korea has had a great tournament,” he said. “It is a team that plays with a real desire to win and their victory over Italy was deserved.”

Skibbe said two other surprise last-eight qualifiers, Senegal and Turkey, relied on a physical approach. “Senegal has similar qualities to Cameroon and Turkey has also done very well in this World Cup. England have looked good and Brazil has the best team in terms of individual talent.

Meanwhile, the US reckon speed and positioning will make up for what they lack in size when they play Germany in Friday’s quarter-final, coach Bruce Arena has said.

“We have to be good in a lot of areas to neutralise their physical quality. We’re not going to get any taller or any thicker overnight ... so we’re going to have to make up for it with a little bit of quickness and some brains.”

Arena said the Germans were as big as any team in the World Cup, describing Miroslav Klose and Carsten Jancker as “a handful in front of the goal” and “a concern to us”.

Arena said he had made no decision on the line-up for Friday’s match in Ulsan, South Korea. Landon Donovan, whose two goals put him up with Brian McBride as the leading US scorers in this World Cup, said the Americans had to concentrate on their own game.

“Something we’re doing is going right, so we’ve got to keep doing the same and hope for the best,” he said.