Völler reveals attacking plan
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Article summary
Germany coach Rudi Völler has announced that his team will play with two strikers against Latvia.
Article body
Close to perfection
Völler opted to play with only Kevin Kuranyi up front in a 4-5-1 lineup in the opening match against the Netherlands. The tactics worked almost to perfection as the Germans came within nine minutes of winning Tuesday's game thanks to a first-half strike from Torsten Frings, but in the end had to settle for a 1-1 draw.
'Control the action'
Despite seeing one of his team's best performances in recent years, however, Völler said that he was still going to change his tactics for the Latvia match. "We wanted to show a strong performance at the back against the Netherlands and we did exactly that. But against Latvia we will be expected to control the action.
Second striker
"We will have to put them under pressure because they won't do us the favour of attacking like the Dutch did. Therefore we will definitely field a second striker," he added. What Völler did not reveal was whether it would be a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2 formation, and who would partner Kuranyi. "We don't want to reveal all of our secrets," he smiled.
Kuranyi certainty
Whatever the system, Kuranyi is certain of his place and looking forward to having an attacking foil at the Estádio do Bessa Século XXI in Porto. "The tactics against the Netherlands worked brilliantly. But the game against Latvia is completely different. We will have to put them under pressure to score the goals we need," said the VfB Stuttgart forward.
No preferences
When asked which player he would like to be paired with, the 22-year old said: "I don't really mind. I get on fine with all of the other strikers in the squad." Fredi Bobic appears to be the favourite, however, having appeared as a substitute against the Dutch.
Confident Baumann
Midfield player Frank Baumann could be a victim of the tactical switch, but the 28-year-old is not worried about losing his place. "I can play in defence and in midfield," insisted the SV Werder Bremen man. "I was in the starting lineup against the Netherlands and in our last three qualifiers for the tournament so I am optimistic about keeping my place in the side."
