Consistency key for Germany

By Mark Bennett

Germany are the only one of the eight finalists at the 2004/05 UEFA European Under-19 Championship who also qualified for the final tournament in Switzerland a year ago, and they will be hoping to make the most of that experience to lift the trophy for the first time in Northern Ireland.

Final blow
Coach Ulrich Stielike was also in charge for the first European U19 Championship in 2001/02, when Germany remained unbeaten in four games against Turkey and Sweden to progress from the qualifying round before edging out Poland on away goals in the intermediary round. At the finals in Norway, Germany won two Group B games and drew the other to clinch first place in the section and a final against Spain - only for the Spanish to run out 1-0 winners.

Elite round exit
Germany were in similarly impressive form in the early stages of the following season's competition, scoring 21 goals in three qualifying round matches to win Group 5 against Israel, Azerbaijan and Armenia on home soil. In the Elite round, however, a 2-1 defeat by the Czech Republic in the second round of matches ultimately proved costly, Germany failing to reach the finals despite an extraordinary 8-4 success against Slovakia in their third and final game.

Swiss setback
In 2003/04, Luxembourg and Malta were defeated in the qualifying round - Germany scoring 15 goals in the process - before a draw with Denmark gave the Germans first place in Group 4. In the next stage, a final-day victory against Slovakia - secured by Lukas Sinkiewicz's 85th-minute strike - gave Germany a finals berth. In Switzerland, however, Germany lost their first game 3-0 to eventual winners Spain and, despite a 3-1 success against Poland, a 1-1 draw against Turkey was not enough to send Dieter Eilts' side through to the semi-finals, although they did secure a berth in this year's FIFA World Youth Championship.

Key players
Stielike's side will be hoping for better in the 2004/05 final tournament, and can look to eight players with Bundesliga experience in his squad. Sascha Dum made the first-team breakthrough at Bayer 04 Leverkusen this season and Sören Halfar, Dennis Aogo, Ashkan Dejagah, Eugen Polanski, Dennis Grote and Mustafa Kucukovic have also made their mark in the top flight. Hamburger SV striker Kucukovic is one of eleven players to score for his country in 2004/05, and leads the way with four goals.

UEFA European Under-19 Championship best:
Runners-up 2002

Honours in UEFA youth competitions:
UEFA European Under-18 Championship
Winners 1981 (West Germany), 1986 (East Germany)
Runners-up 1994, 1998
UEFA European Under-16 Championship
Winners 1984 (West Germany)
Runners-up 1982 (West Germany), 1989 (East Germany)

Other honours
FIFA World Youth Championship
Winners 1981 (West Germany)
Runners-up 1987 (West Germany)
FIFA U-17 World Championship
Runners-up 1985 (West Germany)

For Germany's Under-19 team page, click here.