Germany
Germany - Group G (Portugal, Ghana, USA)
Germany is tied with the hosts for featuring in most World Cup final matches, each playing seven championship matches having met only once, in 2002. They are also the team which has reached most semifinals. They are one of the consistent contenders for the much coveted trophy and is the first team to top the FIFA World Rankings when they were introduced in 1991. After partition of Germany owing to their defeat in World War II, there were three different teams representing the divided regions, West Germany, Saarland, East Germany
Profile - The Three Teams
Germany has participated in all but two World Cups, missing the inaugural 1930 event due to The Great Depression and was banned in 1950 after WWII. Interestingly, it is the only nation so far to win the Men's and Women's World Cups. They are also one among the six hosts to win the trophy
Owing to their physique and build, Germans are traditionally powerful players, which show in their prolific goalscoring and rigid defense, although they are vulnerable from flanks occasionally
Confederation: UEFA (Europe)
Coach: Joachim Low (GER)
FIFA Ranking: 2 (8-May-2014)
Nickname: Die Mannschaft (The Team)
Key Players: Ozil, Lahm, Neuer
Legends: Beckenbauer, Muller, Mathaus
World Champions: 1954, 1974, 1990
History - DFB Eagles
Germany has an impressive record of winning three World Cups and three Euro Championships, in 1972, 1980 and 1996. Furthermore, East Germany won an Olympic medal in 1976. Franz Beckenbauer, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, is the only player to have won the World Cup as both Captain (1974) and Manager (1990)
Qualification - Goals Galore
In their ten games of UEFA qualifiers, Germany won nine and drew one, 4-4 against Sweden, the game in which the latter team famously came from 0-4 behind. They have run riot in their opponents defenses by scoring amazingly 34 times and conceding 10 goals. They scored at least twice every match
Prospects - Firm Favorites
The only thing that could go against Germany in this finals is the fact that a World Cup hosted in South America is never won by anyone outside the continent. Apart form that, the talent, the form and the history would place Germany highly among the favorites this edition. Few hurdles like their opening game against Portugal, possible clash with former champs France and Brazil would await their march to the final
Squad
Goalkeepers:
Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover)
Defenders:
Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Erik Durm (Borussia Dortmund), Kevin Grosskreutz (Borussia Dortmund), Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Arsenal), Shkodran Mustafi (Sampdoria)
Midfielders:
Julian Draxler (Schalke), Matthias Ginter (Freiburg), Mario Goetze (Bayern Munich), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Andre Schuerrle (Chelsea), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich),
Forwards:
Miroslav Klose (Lazio), Lukas Podolski (Arsenal), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Fixtures
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