So today I thought it’d be cool to dig up that legendary Germany squad from the 2006 World Cup. You know, the one hosted right there in Germany? Started by opening my old notebooks where I jot down football stuff.
Where I Began
First I scribbled down names that popped into my head: Lehmann in goal obviously, Ballack as captain, and Klose up front. Brain only coughed up like 10 players though. Totally blanked on defenders besides Lahm.
The Hunt for Missing Players
Grabbed my dusty DVD collection and watched old tournament highlights. Spotted that tall defender Mertesacker clearing crosses. Noticed Podolski celebrating goals with Klose. Still missing like six guys though.
- Checked my ticket stub collection
- Dug through shoebox of player cards
- Found old matchday programs under my bed
Finally pieced together forgettable names like Hanke and Hitzlsperger. Took me three coffee breaks to confirm backup keeper Hildebrand.
Position Headaches
This part got messy. Schweinsteiger sometimes played wing, sometimes midfield? Wrote both positions. Argued with myself about Frings – defensive mid or regular mid? Settled on DM after rewatching the Argentina shootout.
The Final Roster
Organized it like how coach Klinsmann lined them up:
- Keepers: Lehmann (Arsenal), Kahn (Bayern), Hildebrand (Stuttgart)
- Defenders: Lahm (Bayern), Mertesacker (Bremen), Metzelder (Dortmund), Friedrich (Hertha), Nowotny (Leverkusen), Jansen (M’gladbach)
- Midfielders: Ballack (Chelsea), Schweinsteiger (Bayern), Schneider (Leverkusen), Frings (Bremen), Borowski (Bremen), Kehl (Dortmund), Odonkor (Dortmund)
- Forwards: Klose (Bremen), Podolski (Bayern), Neuville (M’gladbach), Hanke (Wolfsburg)
Forgot two players three times – had to stick post-its on my monitor with Hitzlsperger and Asamoah names. Blisters on thumb from erasing positions so much.
Why It Mattered
Seeing all 23 names together hit different. They came third with this squad! Kids like Lahmi became giants. Reminded me how Ballack’s suspension broke our hearts. Should probably frame this lineup somewhere.