SOCCER-GERMANY/USA PREPS U.S. soccer team prepares for Wednesday's friendly against Germany

Record ID: 150624

  • Title: SOCCER-GERMANY/USA PREPS U.S. soccer team prepares for Wednesday's friendly against Germany
  • Date: 9th June 2015
  • Summary: COLOGNE, GERMANY (JUNE 9, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** UNITED STATES (U.S.) NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM COACH JUERGEN KLINSMANN AND GERMANY NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM COACH JOACHIM LOEW WALKING TOWARDS NEWS CONFERENCE AREA NEWS CONFERENCE ABOUT TO BEGIN LOEW AND KLINSMANN SEATED AT TABLE FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERA OPERATORS / LOEW AND KLINSMANN SEATED (S
  • Embargoed: 24th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEDC8DU7H9DZ1AOYV4WB6JCGXU
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Germany and the United States prepared to play a friendly in Cologne on Wednesday (June 10) and the two coaches - long-time friends - on Tuesday (June 9) praised each others' teams.
    Germany coach Joachim Loew has previously expressed his unhappiness with playing games in June and said he had told his team to get energised.
    "Yesterday I had to remind the players that they have to get energised in the next few days. Of course that is not so simple since this June appointment isn't that fortunate or optimal for us, especially not for the players who played in last year's World Cup. But we must face this situation and try to maintain concentration and seriousness to pull through this week," he told a news conference together with U.S. coach Juergen Klinsmann.
    At the news conference, Loew complemented his old mentor's achievements. Klinsmann was Germany's manager with Loew his assistant when they reached the World Cup semi-finals on home soil in 2006.
    "I can see a clear improvement in the (U.S.) team in the last three to four years, in every way. That is, this team plays very differently from three to four years ago and this team has really become very professional, tactically very good. And the team exudes an amazing mental strength which could be seen in their game against the Netherlands and also at the World Cup, with amazing courage, and these are some of the characteristics that their trainer [Klinsmann] values," he said, referring to a game on Friday (June 5) in which the Americans came from 3-1 down to win 4-3 in an impressive display of swift counter-attack football.
    Klinsmann, whose team is preparing for the Concacaf Gold Cup which they host next month, said there was a lot of admiration for the German side.
    "The reality is such that all countries, apart from Germany, look to Germany and admire what has happened in the last few years and have an unbelievable respect for that. When you're at the top and have reached the ultimate goal- the World Cup title - then you end up in the position where this has to be reaffirmed all the time. And the next chance to do so will be at the European Championships next year," he said.
    Loew and Germany will attempt to win the 2016 European Championship in France, a title the team has not won under his management.
    Klinsmann also commented on the FIFA bribery and corruption investigation, saying it was essential that the organisation was cleaned up.
    "Without question, the whole world wishes that FIFA would be cleaned up, that there are consequences [to actions] and that it is all reconsidered and hopefully the ones who remain in the whole thing, and they who will follow, really go deep and make those who in any way took part in what took place in the last ten years accountable," he said.
    The match kicks off at 1845 GMT.
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