Luxembourg last test for Germany

COLOGNE, Germany, June 3 (AFP)

Germany will undergo their last World Cup fine tuning Friday with a friendly against the small duchy of Luxembourg. The side is having a four day break, having beaten Colombia 3-1 last Saturday, and will not re-group for the Luxembourg game until Thursday. All proceeds will go to chairty. Coach Berti Vogts is unusually satisfied with the way his World Cup preparations have run and looking forward to the task ahead. "We have improved over 1996 (European championships)," Vogts said. "Its still possible to lose an elimination match though. But it will be difficult to beat the German side. We cant allow ourselves to be influenced by external controversies."  Vogts believes the key to German footballing success lies in the players fitness. He is well aware that he does not possess stars with the magical properties of a Ronaldo but compensates this by having a team of uniformly high standard, willing to run forever and perform as a disciplined unit. "The team that wins the World Cup will be the one which is in the best physical condition. We are going into a very, very long tournament." The players will be under great mental pressure. There has never been such a difficult World Cup when you think how long it will be, including the preparations. The team that runs most and helps itself with good tactics will be world champions."  German great Franz Beckenbauer, who coached his country to World Cup glory in 1990, says that whatever the competition, Germany must always be respected as a challenger. "The traditional football nations Brazil, Italy, France, England and Germany have the best chances," Beckenbauer said. "The Africans might be a surprise packet. A lot play for French clubs and will therefore have a home crowd advantage. I could imagine an African side reaching the semi finals." The "Kaiser" does not fear the United States or Iran, two of Germanys first round opponents. "The Yugoslavs will be our first test. Germany and Yugoslavia will decide the top two places in the group among themselves. Both have top class line ups."  Beckenbauer is also warmly in favour of the World Cups expansion to embrace 32 teams. "Otherwise countries like Iran and Jamaica wouldnt stand a chance. These countries celebrated their qualification for weeks. The expansion is good for this reason alone. But they wont play any role in the outcome,"  he said. Bayern Munich defender Thomas Helmer is the only doubtful German because of a torn thigh muscle but its hoped he may be able to play part of Fridays friendly against Luxembourg. On Sunday the German team flies from Frankfurt to their headquarters in Nice on the Mediterranean Cote dAzur. They will stay at a secluded five-star hotel outside the city and fly to the venue of each match 36 hours in advance. Only in the event of reaching the final will they leave their oasis of calm and move to Paris. If all goes according to plan and the Germans leave France unbeaten with the prestigious golden trophy in their luggage the whole exercise will have cost the German Football Federation nine million Marks. Among other costs, each player has been promised 150,000 Marks for lifting the title. Hot weather bled the players of energy at the last World Cup in the US and coach Berti Vogts expects them to be much faster and more athletic in the more temperate French surroundings - a boost for the German style of football. Beckenbauer too is glad to have the competition back in Europe for quite different reasons. "Im looking forward to this World Cup. Four years ago the games in the United States were good too but they just didnt have the right atmosphere in a country where football has little importance. Im expecting a football festival like eight years ago. In Italy then, the whole country celebrated. It will be the same in France."

© - AFP - 1998