SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Germany now have one over England on keepers, says Kahn

Record ID: 454628

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Germany now have one over England on keepers, says Kahn
  • Date: 26th June 2010
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 25, 2010) (REUTERS) **FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** ARRIVAL OF FORMER GERMAN GOALKEEPER OLIVER KAHN ARRIVAL OF FORMER ARGENTINE GOALKEEPER SERGIO GOYCOCHEA ARRIVAL OF CZECH GOALKEEPER PETR CECH VARIOUS OF KAHN, GOYCOCHEA AND CECH POSING WITH THE ADIDAS GOLDEN GLOVE JOURNALISTS PAINTING OF KAHN (SOUNDBITE) (German) FORMER GERMAN GOALKEEPER OLIVER KAHN SAYING: "I also frequently asked myself why it is that the English don't have a world class goalkeeper when they have such a great goalkeeping tradition, from Peter Shilton to David Seaman as far back as Gordon Banks. In Bayern Munich they have the philosophy that the best German goalkeeper is in their goal, whereas in England the goalkeeping positions, especially in the top clubs, are often filled with foreign players." PODIUM WITH GOALKEEPERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) FORMER GERMAN GOALKEEPER OLIVER KAHN SAYING: "England and Germany, it is always a great duel, marked by lots of events in the past. The English have a very, very experienced team with a lot of stars and the Germans have a partly very, very young and relatively inexperienced team, who still play great combination football, which isn't so typical for German teams. The outcome is open. Anything is possible." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FORMER ARGENTINE GOALKEEPER SERGIO GOYCOCHEA, TALKING ABOUT DIEGO MARADONA, SAYING: "I think that the biggest change with the Argentine team is that Maradona has had the chance to spend a whole month with the players intensively, and this is the first time since becoming coach that he was able to spend so much intensive time with them, and this is the main point why Argentina is now playing completely differently and more efficiently than in the South American qualifiers." GOLDEN GLOVE GOALKEEPERS STAND UP AND LEAVE
  • Embargoed: 11th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3QGHNWO6GKOT1FT7C76PMCS88
  • Story Text: England and Germany, who clash in the second round of the World Cup on Sunday (June 27), have produced many of Europe's finest goalkeepers down the years, but former Germany international keeper Oliver Kahn said on Friday (June 25) that may no longer be true in England's case.
    Kahn, who played 86 times for Germany between 1994 and 2006 said that England's traditional ability to produce world class keepers had been eroded because so many foreign keepers now play in the Premier League. Kahn said: "England had a great tradition of goalkeepers like Peter Shilton, Ray Clemence, David Seaman, and going further back, Gordon Banks.
    "Now in England you have a situation where many foreign goalkeepers are playing for the top clubs," he said, which made it difficult for England to develop an English goalkeeper who would develop into a No.1 World Class keeper.
    England coach Fabio Capello battled with the dilemma of who his first choice keeper was going to be before the World Cup began, having to chose between David James, who will be 40 in August, Robert Green, 30, of West Ham United or Joe Hart, 23, of Manchester City. He opted for Green for the opening match against the United States but after Green's howler for the U.S. goal, has handed the jersey to James.
    On the other side, German coach Joachim Loew chose 24-year-old Manuel Neuer ahead of the older Tim Wiese, 28 and Hans-Joerg Butt, now 36, after Rene Adler, 25 suffered a rib injury before the tournament and pulled out of the squad.
    Although Neuer only has eight caps and is largely inexperienced at this level, Kahn believes he is the right man for the job and that Germany are still able to nurture top goalkeepers.
    Neuer is at Schalke 04, but Kahn hinted he would eventually play for the country's biggest club, Bayern Munich who have been chasing him for the last 12 months.
    "In Germany it is different (from England). Bayern Munich, for example, has a policy that Germany's No.1 goalkeeper needs to be in their team and there are many German goalkeepers playing in the Bundesliga.
    As far as Sunday's match is concerned, Kahn said: "England v Germany ? It's a traditional, classic duel, a battle. "England are a very experienced side with with many top stars from the Premier League, Germany are a young inexperienced team, but but they do play a lovely game of passing football, which is actually not quite typical of German football, but as to the result, it is completely open."
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