Twelve years ago last month Messrs Kahn, Worns, Linke, Nowotny, Boehme, Hamann, Rehmer, Ballack, Deisler, Jancker and Neuville suffered a 1- 5 home defeat to an England side managed by the long since departed Sven Groan Eriksson. That Saturday evening defeat in Munich can perhaps inspire hope for the Republic of Ireland squad who play Germany in Cologne on Friday, in the second last rubber of the now ill-fated 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign. But as England know well, football is a funny game. When the two side met again in the South Africa in the James, Glen Johnson, Cole, Terry, Upson, Gerrard, Lampard, Barry, Milner , Rooney and Defoe they were on the receiving end of a 4-1 beating. Albeit with the usual England versus Germany controversy mixed in.
With that in mind the interim Republic of Ireland manager, Noel King, heads from Malahide this week, in the wake of the Giovanni Trapattoni era, armed with a conviction to prove the pundits wrong. Armed too with the knowledge that no matter what he achieves over the next ten days he is not being considered for the full time national manager position. A sure way of causing an upset with the players doing their utmost for their gaffer with added passion and guts at the Rhein Energie Stadium in Cologne.
Mostly from a playing squad who have for over twelve months fallen short of achievements. Which may have been a sense of being trapped in a formation so favoured by Ireland's former Italian manager. In facing Germany the task of reversing the results of a team - who have accumulated 22 points in eight games - seems beyond reach. The result perhaps no different to the outcome in the home leg played in the Aviva Stadium a year ago - as 1- 6 was the result.
Although carrying a more modest CV in comparison to his predecessors King has a chance to release the shackles and avail of the return of some lost souls under Trapattoni. Namely Darren Gibson, Andy Reid and Anthony Stokes, who this time may have a chance to sell their wares. In doing so, at least revive the drooping spirit of an Irish football public bereft of the nights like England enjoyed at the Olympiastadion on September 1st 2001. Coincidentally the same day Mick McCarthy’s Ireland secured that unlikely victory over the Clockwork Orange at Lansdowne Road. Earning a play-off that would eventually lead to an appearance in Korea and Japan in 2002.Once opponents Iran and the challenges of Saipan were overcome.
Where a meeting with Germany in Niigata, Japan, saw Messrs Given, Kelly, Breen, Staunton, Harte, McAteer, Holland, Kinsella, Kilbane, Duff all benefit from the magic of a Robbie Keane equaliser in added time. Indeed another one of those hallowed days in the annals of Irish soccer that then secured passage to a quarter-final battle with Spain.
However hope is never enough on these occasions.
Yet there is good news about that makes the German job a little more interesting this week as Borussia Dortmund duo, Sven Bender and the deadly Marco Reus, are out with injuries. In addition, Bender's twin Lars, the Bayer Leverkusen defensive midfielder, has also withdrawn with a thigh problem. National Coach Joachim Loew was also without both first-choice strikers as Miroslav Klose joined Mario Gomez since last mponth. Even though Klose is 35, he has equalled Gerd Mueller's record of 68 international goals and still cane be a force in front of goal - given half a chance. Fortunately for Noel King he underwent surgery recenntly on his right foot and is out for Friday's encounter.
With Germany five points clear at the top of Group C and needing just a point to make it to Brazil and need to beat Republic of Ireland - or avoid defeat to Sweden next Tuesday - to secure their plane tickets. Which offers the hope of an off day perhaps. Yet on paper the chances of the 59th team in the FIFA World Rankings overcoming the might of the world number three seems a stretch. Even for the most biased of supporters. Although stranger things have happened.
To date no game has ever yet been won on paper either.
In the EURO 2008 campaign Steve Staunton’s’ Republic side squeezed a narrow one nil defeat in the home of Ray Houghton's first major goal for ireland - the old Neckarstadion in Stuttgart - where a draw might have been a fair result in Septemerbn 2006. An outcome that was achieved in the return leg at Croke Park in October 2007, but at the cost of vital home points. Fulfilling at that time for some that oft trotted out theory that the Republic of Ireland play better against word class opposition. An algorithm that Trapattoni truly shattered in Poland and Ukraine in the meetings against Croatia, Spain and Italy in the group stage of EURO 2012.
And indeed in the first leg of the current Brazil 2014 campaign when Marco Reus, Mesut Oezil, Miroslav Klose and Toni Kroos tore the Irish team asunder in Dublin.
And as if that were not enough, the dominance of two Bundesliga sides in the Champions League last season, in the shape of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund - with both reaching the final in Wembley last May – came at the expense of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris St Germain, Malaga, Galatasaray and Juventus. Proving that the might of the German game is close to its zenith once again.
Which converted into stats it shows Germany having qualified for every FIFA World Cup finals, bar two exceptions. The first when they missed Uruguay 1930 due to the financial crash, and then when they were not readmitted to FIFA after the Second World War in time for the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. In short, Germany have contested all the other 17 finals, qualifying automatically as hosts. Or as holders on five occasions.
In the seventeen meetings between the two countries – competitive and friendly - the Republic of Ireland have lost eight, won five and shared the spoils four times. With some of those wins dating as far back as 1936, 1951, 1956 and 1960. The most recent a friendly before Jack Charlton's squad departed for the USA World Cup in 1994 when goals from Tony Cascarino and Gary Kelly secured a valued victory in the Niedersachsenstadion in Hanover.
No mean feat against Messrs Illgner, Matthäus, Kohler, Strunz, Basler, Buchwald, Sammer, Wagner, A Möller, Riedle and Juergen Klinsmann.
In competitive games however the record is much bleaker. Ne'er a win to be mentioned.
But as former England striker Gary Lineker once said, “Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.”
But blessed maybe the King maker.
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