Germans talking big Ballack looks ahead to England By ROB LONGLEY -- Toronto Sun Thu, June 8, 2006

Star midfielder Michael Ballack will probably miss Germany's opening World Cup match due to an injury in his right calf, German coach Juergen Klinsmann announced Thursday, June 8, 2006. (AP File Photo/Michael Sohn)

MUNICH -- For another day at least, the band of five young male troubadours roaming Briennerstrasse, the city's bustling pedestrian-only avenue, could come off as charming.

There they were yesterday on a cool, sunny afternoon draped in German flags, serenading passers-by with songs of soccer and Bavarian lore.

People cheered and yelled "Deutschland," giddy because they can be.

The World Cup doesn't begin until tomorrow and that's when a nation's angst will begin to spill like frothy Pilsner from a tap.

German fans and players alike are talking a good game now, a little too good for some.

It started with captain Michael Ballack, who unwittingly promoted impending hooliganism by speaking of his desire to play England in the second round.

The hated rivals are well north of here at the moment, but you can guarantee English fans will take this on cue. If they didn't have enough incentive to wreak havoc in Frankfurt, where England opens on Saturday against Paraguay, they do after this.

"I won't deny we've been thinking about who we could be playing in round two," said Ballack, who given that he is nursing a sore calf is in no position to be talking so bold. "There is no doubt (England) is one of the favourites to lift the trophy along with Brazil and Argentina.

"Whether they can deal with the pressure from the public is another matter."

Given the chance to either elaborate or backtrack on Ballack's comments yesterday, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann opted to shoot rather than save.

Acknowledging England is a contender, the 'keeper questioned whether it has enough experience to get to the final.

"What they don't know right now is how to go through a whole tournament," Lehmann said. "That is the edge we do have."

Yes, unexpectedly making it to the final in 2002 is a slice of hope for the host nation to embrace. For now. So is playing at home, though that too comes at a bloated price.

Flopping in the World Cup for a soccer-proud nation is one thing. Doing it on its own turf could end in ugly crisis.

Despite being drawn into one of the softer groups, the Germans best not look too far ahead even with awful, injury-ravaged Costa Rica on tap tomorrow.

So non-threatening are Los Ticos, by the way, that Munich fans largely ignored the fellow wrapped in a Costa Rican flag yesterday as he strolled through the downtown crowds.

In a break from tradition, Germany will play the opening game of the tournament, an honour previously reserved for the defending champs. It doesn't always work out well either, no need to remind France (2002 vs. Senegal) or Argentina (1990 vs. Cameroon.)

Meanwhile, the soccer-loving citizenry here has stabilized itself in recent weeks, thanks to a couple of resounding, not-so-friendly thrashings in lead-up games.

It had been a rocky journey prior to that, so much so that there were even cries for the head of coach and former star, Jurgen Klinsmann.

"The fans have realized that we need them, they are our 12th man," Klinsmann said, stealing a term from the other football, perhaps gleaned from his years living in California.

"We hope this gives us extra energy and a big advantage."

But would it be enough? While some took the recent success as a cue to over-react toward the positive, there are enough skeptical German fans with long memories.

"The opinion is 50-50 I think," Stefanie Daiberl, manager at the Augustiner Bierhalle said yesterday, steins clinking noisily in the background. "Some people don't like the manager. Some people think we are too young and inexperienced.

"The other 50% is very excited. Those are the people who believe that if the World Cup is in your own land, your team will do well. In 1998, France wasn't so qualified to win it and look what happened."

If it happens here, there will be more than five cheery lads singing in the streets. It will be Oktoberfest in July.