The chances of Torsten Frings (77 caps) returning to the German team on Sunday, so that he could play in Wednesday’s World Cup qualifying game against Finland in Helsinki (7.35 P.M., live on ZDF), are minimal at best. German coach Joachim Löw said on Thursday: "I don’t see that as a valid option. With a fractured nose, the risk would be enormous, especially considering the Scandinavian style of playing the game, with their impetus on long and high passes and crosses." Werder Bremen’s medical staff had cleared Frings for this weekend. The 31-year old defensive midfielder could potentially return to practice on Sunday.
Germany, the runner-up at the 2008 European Championships, kicks-off the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Vaduz this Saturday (8.45 P.M., live on ARD). Europe’s biggest football association visits the continent’s smallest one. More than 26,000 clubs are organised under the roof of the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB), while Liechtenstein relies on a mere 1,700 players. Seven clubs compete in the princedom’s football league. The DFB-team ranks 3rd in the world, Liechtenstein 130th.
Löw and his team are well aware of the dangers lurking, self-content and haughtiness to name just two. Before the 30th game under his tenure, Löw reminded his players that Liechtenstein did force Portugal to a 2-2 draw in 2005. "They are no San Marino", Löw underlined. Then again, Germany registered lopsided wins in the two encounters with Liechtenstein so far (9-1, June 4, 1996, Mannheim; 8-2, June 7, 2000, Freiburg).
For the game at the Rheinpark-Stadion in Vaduz, which has a capacity of close to 7,000 fans, the DFB forwarded about 800 tickets to the general public, mostly to members of the "Fanclub Nationalmannschaft".
Löw called the fact that Ballack and Frings had to cancel both qualifying games due to injuries “upsetting” and “aggravating”. He re-emphasized the enormous strain for the elite, saying: "Since 2004, these players competed in four major tournaments. The physical letdown at some point is inevitable." Captain Michael Ballack (FC Chelsea) is sidelined because of a bruised and inflamed left foot, while Frings suffered a fractured nose during a basketball game last Sunday. That adds up to the experience of 164 international games, a huge loss for the German team.
"I have asked some of our younger players to step forward", Löw said. Once again, he is forced to improvise his line-up in midfield, a situation similar to the fall and winter of 2007, when Ballack and Frings also missed a string of games.
