Past & Present National Team Players & Coaches Honoured At The Ballon D'or
German national team players picked up a lot of individual silverware at the ballon d'or this year.
Nadine Angerer - the first goalkeeper to be women's ballon d'or - and now recognized as the best player in the world.
She was a shoo-in, of course, after THAT performance in the final of the Euros when she saved two penalties and dragged a Young and inexperienced German NT suffering from massive injuries to senior players (almost a combined 350 caps of experience was missing) kicked and screaming to win the tournament.
It's been a few years since the best player in the world was German (miss you, Birgit) so it's nice to get that award back.
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Silvia Neid was once again best coach, of course. She is also a former player and captain for the German NT for those of us who can remember that far back -
Officially, Germany now have the two greatest goalkeepers on the planet on their national team because Neuer made the men's Starting 11 -
Jupp Heynckes won best men's coach for his work at club-level with Bayern Munich. He's a Germany great, of course - winning the titles in '72 and '74.
And people like Pele photo-bomb his pictures as a result -
And of course, Philipp Lahm - in the world's best 11 - precisely where he belongs, as the world's greatest fullback for several years now. He's so brilliant, in fact, they penciled him in for the wrong side to include him - though many argue, he doesn't have a better position and plays equally well left or right.
Whatever. That he's the most consistent and brilliant defender on earth isn't really in dispute -
Congratulations to our wonderful national team players/coaches.
Let's hope this all bodes well for 2014!
.
.
Nadine Angerer - the first goalkeeper to be women's ballon d'or - and now recognized as the best player in the world.
She was a shoo-in, of course, after THAT performance in the final of the Euros when she saved two penalties and dragged a Young and inexperienced German NT suffering from massive injuries to senior players (almost a combined 350 caps of experience was missing) kicked and screaming to win the tournament.
It's been a few years since the best player in the world was German (miss you, Birgit) so it's nice to get that award back.
.
.
Silvia Neid was once again best coach, of course. She is also a former player and captain for the German NT for those of us who can remember that far back -
Officially, Germany now have the two greatest goalkeepers on the planet on their national team because Neuer made the men's Starting 11 -
Jupp Heynckes won best men's coach for his work at club-level with Bayern Munich. He's a Germany great, of course - winning the titles in '72 and '74.
And people like Pele photo-bomb his pictures as a result -
And of course, Philipp Lahm - in the world's best 11 - precisely where he belongs, as the world's greatest fullback for several years now. He's so brilliant, in fact, they penciled him in for the wrong side to include him - though many argue, he doesn't have a better position and plays equally well left or right.
Whatever. That he's the most consistent and brilliant defender on earth isn't really in dispute -
Congratulations to our wonderful national team players/coaches.
Let's hope this all bodes well for 2014!
.
.