After a one-year hiatus, Christian Pander returns to the German squad. Joachim Löw called upon the 25-year old defender of Bundesliga powerhouse Schalke 04 for the roster of the German national team. The Mannschaft faces Liechtenstein on Saturday, September 6 (8.45 P.M., live on ARD) in Vaduz and Finland on Wednesday, September 10 (7.35 P.M., live on ZDF) in Helsinki in the two first games of the qualifying round for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Pander's debut occured on August 22, 2007, in a 2-1 win over England at Wembley Arena, when he scored the winning goal. "He had been battling injuries for a few months, which kept him out of the line-up", said Löw about Christian Pander. "But he has been healthy throughout the preparation for this season. Most notably because of his free and corner kicks, a healthy Christian Pander will always be a candidate for our team."
Team captain Michael Ballack, who was sidelined for the game against Belgium, a 2-0 win on August 20 in Nuremberg, will probably not return into the squad. Ballack still has problems with his foot. He missed the match of his club FC Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Torsten Frings, who also missed the game against Belgium, cancelled his appointment due to a broken nose.
Meanwhile, Joachim Löw decided to give a break to Jermaine Jones and Arne Friedrich, who are on the road back from severe injuries. Both Jones (Schalke) and Friedrich (Berlin) will sit out the two qualifiers.
Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen) joins Robert Enke as the goalkeepers on the roster. Besides Wiese, three other players were not part of the EURO roster: Serdar Tasci, Marko Marin and Patrick Helmes.
Before the trips to Vaduz and Helsinki, the German team travels South to Munich, where the team plays FC Bayern München in a tribute to Oliver Kahn (86 caps), who retired from professional football this summer. The game is scheduled for Tuesday. "Should be a fun affair, the final score is of absolutely no relevance", said Löw.
"Oliver Kahn had a fantastic career, he can be very proud of his accomplishments. He was honoured as the world's best goalkeeper three times, which says it all", said Joachim Löw. "He has a strong personality, which also led to controversies, but he never wavered in his stance."
DFB-President Dr. Theo Zwanziger also praised the illustrious career of Kahn, a Champions-League winner, an eight-time German champion and six-time DFB Cup champion: "Oliver Kahn has been an outstanding goalkeeper and he is an extraordinary man. The 2002 FIFA World Cup will always be remembered because of his unforgettable performance. And in 2006, his conduct as such a fair sportsman inspired our entire team."
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After a one-year hiatus, Christian Pander returns to the German squad. Joachim Löw called upon the 25-year old defender of Bundesliga powerhouse Schalke 04 for the roster of the German national team. The Mannschaft faces Liechtenstein on Saturday, September 6 (8.45 P.M., live on ARD) in Vaduz and Finland on Wednesday, September 10 (7.35 P.M., live on ZDF) in Helsinki in the two first games of the qualifying round for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Pander's debut occured on August 22, 2007, in a 2-1 win over England at Wembley Arena, when he scored the winning goal. "He had been battling injuries for a few months, which kept him out of the line-up", said Löw about Christian Pander. "But he has been healthy throughout the preparation for this season. Most notably because of his free and corner kicks, a healthy Christian Pander will always be a candidate for our team."
Team captain Michael Ballack, who was sidelined for the game against Belgium, a 2-0 win on August 20 in Nuremberg, will probably not return into the squad. Ballack still has problems with his foot. He missed the match of his club FC Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. Torsten Frings, who also missed the game against Belgium, cancelled his appointment due to a broken nose.
Meanwhile, Joachim Löw decided to give a break to Jermaine Jones and Arne Friedrich, who are on the road back from severe injuries. Both Jones (Schalke) and Friedrich (Berlin) will sit out the two qualifiers.
Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen) joins Robert Enke as the goalkeepers on the roster. Besides Wiese, three other players were not part of the EURO roster: Serdar Tasci, Marko Marin and Patrick Helmes.
Before the trips to Vaduz and Helsinki, the German team travels South to Munich, where the team plays FC Bayern München in a tribute to Oliver Kahn (86 caps), who retired from professional football this summer. The game is scheduled for Tuesday. "Should be a fun affair, the final score is of absolutely no relevance", said Löw.
[bild2]
"Oliver Kahn had a fantastic career, he can be very proud of his accomplishments. He was honoured as the world's best goalkeeper three times, which says it all", said Joachim Löw. "He has a strong personality, which also led to controversies, but he never wavered in his stance."
DFB-President Dr. Theo Zwanziger also praised the illustrious career of Kahn, a Champions-League winner, an eight-time German champion and six-time DFB Cup champion: "Oliver Kahn has been an outstanding goalkeeper and he is an extraordinary man. The 2002 FIFA World Cup will always be remembered because of his unforgettable performance. And in 2006, his conduct as such a fair sportsman inspired our entire team."
