So, we have our squad of twenty-three players for the two-match tour of the United States, numbered from one to twenty-four with no number nineteen. Weird. Maybe Paul Hardcastle had something to do with it.

With the entire core contingent from FC Bayern München unavailable and most of Borussia Dortmund’s first-choice internationals not on the shortlist either, Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw has managed to cobble together what looks like a half-decent squad with a mix of the retained, the recalled and four new recruits. Read more

In a couple of hours’ time, Nationaltrainer Jogi Löw will announce his squad for the upcoming end of season two-match tour of the United States, which sees the team take on Ecuador in Boca Raton followed by an encounter with the United States.

All well and good, were it not for the timing – which is truly awful. Read more

The recent ongoing debate over the concept the of the strikerless “False Nine” and Nationaltrainer Joachim Löw’s decision not to play a regular centre-forward in Germany’s more recent matches has prompted many to think that the era of the traditional Stürmer – the predator, the poacher, the six-yard area finisher – is about to witness its last days. Read more

I was all set to post up the eighth instalment of the One Cap Wonders series today, but other developments have pushed it aside. Namely, the ongoing saga regarding the use of images on the site.

Having arrived back home from work a couple of weeks ago I would find a rather grubby-looking envelope on my doormat, with a second-class stamp attached. Curious, I opened it and flicked through the pages to find myself staring at what was a familiar-looking image of Horst Hrubesch. Read more

Travelling through South-Eastern Bavaria, you will find yourself being instantly captivated by the unique atmosphere. The clean air, crystal clear lakes, rolling green valleys, and the breathtaking mountains that look particularly spectacular against the background of a sky matching the blue of the distinctive lozenges on the Bavarian flag. Read more

Think of those large house spiders you might occasionally see scuttling across your floor, usually during a warm summer evening. Just a blur of almost abnormally long, skinny legs, moving erratically and always managing to evade you as you try to corner it. Looking at this gangly arachnid you cannot understand how or why such an awkward looking creature is so surprisingly mobile, yet somehow it is. Read more

To all my followers, let’s just say that I was teetering on the brink of taking the entire site down this weekend and concentrating on keeping my writing project running offline. Yes, I cannot get the bloody images issue out of my head.

Of course, this would be cutting off my nose to spite not just my face but also the many others who have over the last three years or so have enjoyed the site. There have been some some fantastic comments and feedback and this has always been warmly appreciated. Read more

Five days after returning from the Kazakh capital Astana, Joachim Löw’s side would line up against the same opposition in the more familiar environs of Nürnberg’s Frankenstadion, albeit with the weather being more like Siberia as opposed to Franconia at the end of March. Read more

There’s no coverage here in the UK once again – ESPN are showing Scotland against Serbia – so it’s find the stream time again. I manage to find a pretty stable one from Al Jazeera, with commentary in English. Bonus.

Joachim Löw’s starting eleven is pretty much as expected, with like for like replacements coming in for those players either injured or suspended. Read more

Just a quick one for now – the report on the last game in Astana is to be posted shortly, time has finally caught up with me with loads of other things going on. This report will need a little extra work as I am also hoping to submit it elsewhere. Read more