Low ponders embarrassment of riches
DURBAN - Germany coach Joachim Low was left pondering an embarrassment of attacking options after his young team took apart Australia with a scintillating display of football in their World Cup opener.
The dapper 50-year-old sounded the obligatory note of caution after Germany put four goals without reply past a Socceroo side known for its tight defending, albeit one without the dismissed Tim Cahill for much of the second half.
But previously stuttering forwards Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski getting on the scoresheet would have been a huge encouragement, while Cacau scoring the fourth goal soon after coming on as substitute was another big bonus.
"Now I'm struggling even more to use the term 'standard team'," Low told reporters after Sunday's match at the Moses Mabhida stadium.
"Why? As far as our attackers are concerned we have a range of possibilities - Cacau, (Mario) Gomes, (Piotr) Trochowski - and they can really twist and turn a match when I bring them on.
"I could have fielded other players. It was a difficult decision not to field Cacau straight away. I just knew I had a strong substitute there on the bench.
"At 2-0, I took off Klose and I've got a range of possibilities as far as our defence is concerned."
Low's decision to favour Thomas Muller over Trochowski in his starting line-up also looked like a masterstroke after the young Bayern Munich winger dominated the right flank, drilling a series of quality balls across the face of goal and capping a fine night with a goal.
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"Trochowski prepared well, he implemented the instructions I gave him but Muller is particularly valuable when it comes to playing a more defensive squad," the coach said.
"Muller can take the ball from midfield and take it up to the 18 yard box. He can really penetrate the defence."
Low said Serbia, Germany's next Group D opponents on Friday, would provide a different set of challenges to his team, particularly after they lost their opening match to Ghana.
Being in charge of the youngest German World Cup squad in 76 years, however, Low was delighted to get the first match out of the way and banish his players' pre-tournament nerves.
"The first match of the tournament comes with an enormous amount of pressure," said Low.
"Of course all the suspense and tightness before a match that's just a fact. So now we can be happy and confident and take the next step."