When Germany and Norway make their way out onto the pitch at Ewood Park for the Euro 2005 final tomorrow, the Germans will be comfortable favourites as world champions and with an all-important extra day's rest. But Norway ran them close in the first group B game two weeks ago and, having put neighbours Sweden to the sword on Thursday, will be full of confidence. Here's your essential guide to both teams.
Germany
The Germans are 4/9 on with the bookies to win this match, but it's not just the odds that tell you they're hot favourites. They were favourites months ago, and have provided ample evidence of their status so far in the tournament.
The way they work
Germany are incredibly mechanical – there are no real flair players, no dazzling moments. Remember those Royal Navy adverts about being an important cog in an important machine? That's the way Germany go about things. Each player has a job to do and each move Germany make looks like one perfected on the training pitch, recreated precisely as it was planned.
And the Germans are so far ahead of the rest of Europe that they can also operate with mechanical efficiency – you will never see Germany put in more effort than is strictly necessary to defeat their opponents.
In their first group game, they knocked on Norway's door with persistence but never had the frantic look of a side desperate to find the winning goal. They were riding snugly in third gear, took advantage of a defensive error to take the lead after an hour, and saw out the final 30 minutes on autopilot.
Italy put up only the most meagre of fights in the second group B game against Germany, who responded by banging four past an exposed Carla Brunozzi. Still Tina Theune-Meyer's side were at walking pace. Last week they played France, and took more than 70 minutes to really up their game enough to break down the determined French.
When they beat Finland 4-1 on Wednesday, the Finns stuck to the game plan that had bagged them a surprise semi-final place and attacked relentlessly. They were punished by conceding three early goals as the Germans saw their chance to get this game done and dusted in the first quarter of an hour.
Germany will only trouble themselves to do that fraction more than their opponents, and it's usually enough to see them to victory. Norway looked irresistible at times against Sweden, so we could see a few gear changes tomorrow.
The players
As Finland captain Anne Makinen said earlier in the week, "there are no weak links in the German team." There is nowhere on the pitch for the opposition to pick out a potential gap to exploit. And they have a bench strong enough to ensure that injury shouldn't knock them off course.
That said, there are of course key players in this side. The build-up to the tournament focused largely on Birgit Prinz, Germany's all-time top goalscorer with 84 goals, but she came into the tournament having picked up a thigh injury in the German cup final and has struggled to make the expected impact on this tournament.
In fact Germany almost look to have carried her – she has provided no decisive goal, and looked out of sorts even in training. In the three matches she's played, she has run around like a player with a point to prove, but never really got round to proving it. As captain, and such a prolific goalscorer, of course, she's vital to the dynamic of the German machine and playing her even half fit would always be Theune-Meyer's preferred option.
Inka Grings has long been part of the German set-up but has really made her mark here, with three goals and some of her best performances in the white shirt of Germany. Her career has been blighted by injury, with this one of the few major tournaments she has been fit enough to compete in. Her work with Anja Mittag, at 20 a relative newcomer and probably the most creative player they have, has been key to a lot of Germany's forward moves.
Three of the German midfield – Renate Lingor, Navine Omilade and Conny Pohlers - have picked up player of the match awards in this tournament, and Pohlers stands out as another attack-minded player to have steered Germany onwards here – so much so that she is virtually guaranteed to feature in every team of the tournament.
The entire German defence, which sits comfortably in front of world No1 Silke Rottenberg in goal, is a determined and steadfast line, but 32-year-old Sandra Minnert deserves a particular mention. She shows no signs of tiring and is more often that not at the beginning of moves forward.
Beyond this tournament
Germany could well be set for a period of transition: coach Theune-Meyer has already announced that this will be her last game in charge of the team. It's unlikely that whoever replaces her will be stupid enough to try and make wholesale changes but things will be slightly unsettled, however temporarily. And the squad is an aging one: Minnert, at 32, could well find that this – or at least 2007's world cup, is her last tournament; Rottenberg is 33, and central defender Stephanie Jones is 32, both will be looking to retirement in the not so distant future. Lingor is 29 and Pia Wunderlich, at 30, has already become a bit part player for Germany, but replacing all five will have to be done very carefully if the team are to retain that aura of invincibility.
Norway
After being beaten by Germany and held by France in their first two group B matches, Norway had a 5-3 win over Italy and the Germans, who beat France 3-0, to thank for their place in the semi-final. They went into that match the better side on paper but many people expected Sweden, fronted by two of the world's best strikers in Hanna Ljungberg and Victoria Svensson, to be the ones facing Germany tomorrow. They'll be certain underdogs then, but shouldn't be dismissed too easily – they'll certainly give Germany a game.
The way they work
If one thing characterises the Norwegians, it is sheer, bloody-minded determination; they will never give up. They can rely on a solid defence and drive forward at every opportunity.
Norway have a lot of skilful players and where they're given room to do so, will always make to look good use of the flanks, picking out the wide players and driving towards the box. In a more open game than they might perhaps be permitted in Blackburn tomorrow, they have a commanding central midfield who can take the ball forward themselves – or send pinpoint long balls towards the front pair.
They lost their first group game against the Germans, but Norway took a great deal of their performance in Warrington two weeks ago, their 4-3-3 formation giving Germany more than a couple of scares as the midfield pushed on undaunted by their opposition.
Their 1-1 draw with France was a less inspiring performance from Norway, who had the goalkeeper to thank for stopping striker Marinette Pichon going away with a significant haul. But again they looked strong in midfield, and were able to swing the game back in their favour with the arrival of natural centre forward Isabell Herlovsen in the second half.
And the 5-3 thriller against Italy saw Norway at their irresistible, surging best, scoring five goals within the first hour as coach Bjarne Berntsen opted for Herlovsen and Lise Klaveness up front from the start – the perfect targets for a midfield allowed all the time and space they wanted by a poor Italian side.
Norway know exactly what works best for them and will sniff out the slightest chance to push on – even against opposition like Germany. They showed no fear playing them in group B and have been given no reason in the intervening two weeks to start.
The players
Solveig Gulbrandsen is possibly Norway's most important player. Together with Ingvild Stensland in the centre of the midfield – someone she can rely upon to sit back when she ventures forward – the pair are responsible for so much of Norway's best play. At only 24 and 23 respectively, they will be central to the squad's development in the coming years [and remember, this is already an embryonic Norway set-up after their successes in the last decade].
Bente Nordby is an old face in goal at 30 but remains key to Norway's success – as demonstrated by her two impressive saves against Sweden on Thursday. Often picked out as second best to Rottenberg but has been called on more often here and, Italy's consolations apart, coped admirably.
In front of Nordby, defenders Ane Stangeland and Marit Christensen are the heart of the Norwegian defence, Christensen a towering figure and Stangeland, just turned 25, a zippy figure who can chase back to keep pace with even the most rapid counter-attack.
And up front Herlovsen has already made her mark in the side, notching up her first international goal in rescuing Norway's chances against France. Tall and powerful despite being just 16, she makes a natural target player – but needs to be watched with the ball at her feet too. She didn't actually feature in any of Norway's qualifying games as she was still playing for the U17s, but Berntsen will be glad of his decision to bring her into the tournament.
Beyond the tournament
Norway, like England, have a young squad, and their development over the next few years will be interesting viewing. Their impressive domestic set-up will likely keep their players a few steps ahead of England, of course, and their even more impressive history in the game, since their first international in 1978, should stand to them for years to come. Berntsen only stepped in as manager after Norway had qualified for these finals, Age Steen making the surprise decision to stand down. He arrived with no experience in women's football but has clearly kept the squad on course.
.jpg?w=600)
