Löw refuses to take moral high ground
The legendary Rolling Stones front-man was in Bloemfontein to watch the Germans dump England out of the competition last Sunday and was impressed enough to declare Löw’s young side are his tip to go all the way.
Given his past record, it is not something Germany should be that comfortable with.
And Löw is happy to steer away from good luck charms and ensure his players are totally focused on an eagerly-awaited tussle with Diego Maradona’s unbeaten outfit.
“We can’t bet any money on Mick Jagger’s predictions because he’s been wrong several times,” laughed Löw.
“Instead we have to concentrate on what the Argentinian team have shown so far. They have won all their games, and in terms of numbers, they are almost incomparable attacking players.
“They have some incredibly talented strikers who don’t even make it into the side, like Diego Milito, who had such a fantastic season at Inter Milan. Their firepower is remarkable.”
Eager to side-step the simmering tension between the two camps that has rumbled on for a couple of days since Bastian Schweinsteiger accused Argentina of being provocative, Löw preferred to concentrate on the eagerly-anticipated contest itself.
Prior to the World Cup starting three weeks ago, the star names were all South American.
Now Germany have a couple in there as well in 20-year-old Thomas Muller, whose two second-half goals killed English hopes of a comeback, and Mesut Ozil, who has quietly established himself as one of the players of the tournament. Low has dispelled fitness concerns about the 21-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder, who missed training on Thursday purely so he could get some rest after an arduous 12 months, which started with his demolition of England in the European U21 Championship final.
He is also very wary about putting too much expectation on the youngster’s shoulders given he must now go head-to-head with Lionel Messi.
“You cannot compare such players,” countered Löw. “Messi has a lot more experience. He has been with Barcelona for many years and has won the Champions League and La Liga titles. His dribbling is superb and loves to take on opponents one-to-one.
“Ozil is different. Short passing and combination play are his forte. He spots passes rather than takes the ball past people.
“This is his first tournament, although the matches he has played in South Africa have been very impressive and he shows no fear.”
History suggests Argentina will try to intimidate the youngster.
Although Löw claims the South Americans are “great hosts and wonderfully hospitable”, there does tend to be a menacing undercurrent when things are not going well.
“They go (to) the limits,” said Löw. “That is typical of South American teams. They are very aggressive, which means there will be a cut-throat fight.
“But that doesn’t mean we lack in respect for them.”
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