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History favours Germany in first clash with Paraguay
For the first time in the 100-year history of the German Football Association (DFB), it will send out a senior side to face Paraguay when the nations clash on Saturday in the second round of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™. The South Americans will be Germany's 72nd full international opponents.
History suggests it is no bad thing for Rudi Völler's men to be celebrating this premiere at these finals, as similar games have almost always gone the way of the Germans. There have been eleven first meetings in the finals to date - and Germany have only lost two of them, winning six and drawing the other two.
The very first of these first meetings, however, hardly bode well for the future. In 1934, coach Otto Nerz's side suffered a semi-final defeat to Czechoslovakia in Rome, and had to be satisfied with finishing third in the end. The next premiere was in Malmo, Sweden, 24 years later, as Sepp Herberger's men drew 2-2 with Northern Ireland on their way to a fourth-place finish.
The 1970s saw no less than three first-ever encounters. In Mexico 1970, Germany overcame Peru 3-1 in the second round thanks to a Gerd Müller hat-trick. On home turf four years later, goals from Wolfgang Overath, Bernd Cullmann and Gerd Müller ensured a comfortable 3-0 success over FIFA World Cup débutantes Australia, before the team went down to a legendary 1-0 defeat in its first and only game against East Germany. Franz Beckenbauer and his men bounced back from this with four wins in a row, to claim the trophy for the second time since 1954.
In the 1978 tournament in Argentina there was a first meeting with Tunisia, which ended goalless. Things went better at Italia 90, when Germany went on to claim their third FIFA World Cup triumph. Against the United Arab Emirates in Milan, Völler (2), Jürgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthäus and Uwe Bein were on target in a 5-1 romp, while Franz Beckenbauer's side drew their next group fixture against Columbia 1-1.
In the USA four years later, the DFB team also met two new international opponents. First there was a meeting with Bolivia in Chicago, which Germany won with a solitary Klinsmann goal. South Korea were up next, and Berti Vogts' men again made heavy weather of it, allowing the Asian side to pull back to a final score of 3-2, after Klinsmann (2) and Karl-Heinz Riedle had initially established a three-goal cushion.
The most recent premiere took place at France 98, as Germany were drawn in the same group as Iran. Klinsmann and Oliver Bierhoff struck a goal apiece in a 2-0 success. The Germans have now gone seven games and 28 years since their last defeat in a first meeting at a FIFA World Cup - and few will be betting against history as the side bids to continue its run on Saturday.
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History favours Germany in first clash with Paraguay
For the first time in the 100-year history of the German Football Association (DFB), it will send out a senior side to face Paraguay when the nations clash on Saturday in the second round of the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™. The South Americans will be Germany's 72nd full international opponents.
History suggests it is no bad thing for Rudi Völler's men to be celebrating this premiere at these finals, as similar games have almost always gone the way of the Germans. There have been eleven first meetings in the finals to date - and Germany have only lost two of them, winning six and drawing the other two.
The very first of these first meetings, however, hardly bode well for the future. In 1934, coach Otto Nerz's side suffered a semi-final defeat to Czechoslovakia in Rome, and had to be satisfied with finishing third in the end. The next premiere was in Malmo, Sweden, 24 years later, as Sepp Herberger's men drew 2-2 with Northern Ireland on their way to a fourth-place finish.
The 1970s saw no less than three first-ever encounters. In Mexico 1970, Germany overcame Peru 3-1 in the second round thanks to a Gerd Müller hat-trick. On home turf four years later, goals from Wolfgang Overath, Bernd Cullmann and Gerd Müller ensured a comfortable 3-0 success over FIFA World Cup débutantes Australia, before the team went down to a legendary 1-0 defeat in its first and only game against East Germany. Franz Beckenbauer and his men bounced back from this with four wins in a row, to claim the trophy for the second time since 1954.
In the 1978 tournament in Argentina there was a first meeting with Tunisia, which ended goalless. Things went better at Italia 90, when Germany went on to claim their third FIFA World Cup triumph. Against the United Arab Emirates in Milan, Völler (2), Jürgen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthäus and Uwe Bein were on target in a 5-1 romp, while Franz Beckenbauer's side drew their next group fixture against Columbia 1-1.
In the USA four years later, the DFB team also met two new international opponents. First there was a meeting with Bolivia in Chicago, which Germany won with a solitary Klinsmann goal. South Korea were up next, and Berti Vogts' men again made heavy weather of it, allowing the Asian side to pull back to a final score of 3-2, after Klinsmann (2) and Karl-Heinz Riedle had initially established a three-goal cushion.
The most recent premiere took place at France 98, as Germany were drawn in the same group as Iran. Klinsmann and Oliver Bierhoff struck a goal apiece in a 2-0 success. The Germans have now gone seven games and 28 years since their last defeat in a first meeting at a FIFA World Cup - and few will be betting against history as the side bids to continue its run on Saturday.
