Five key matches as Germany's Löw hits milestone
The Germany coach will reach the landmark of 150 international matches in charge of Germany in Sunday's Confederations Cup clash against Cameroon.
Joachim Löw will reach the milestone of 150 international matches in charge of Germany in Sunday's Confederations Cup clash against Cameroon. His record as Germany coach before the final Group B game in Sochi stands at 99 wins, 27 draws and 23 defeats.
Here are five key Germany matches under Loew's stewardship since he first took charge for a 3-0 friendly win over Sweden on August 16 2006:
Vienna, June 29 2008, Euro 2008 final
Löw's first final with Germany was settled by Fernando Torres, who managed to hold off future World Cup winning-captain Philipp Lahm to score the winning goal in Vienna. En route, Germany beat Portugal 3-2 in the quarter-final when Bastian Schweinsteiger scored an early goal, then managed to keep Cristiano Ronaldo quiet. It was the first time Löw switched from the classic 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1 formation, giving the attack more width, the system which saw Germany win the World Cup six years later.
Cape Town, July 3 2010, World Cup quarter-final
The Germans made the world take note with an impressive display as Diego Maradona's Argentina, boasting Lionel Messi and Carlos Tevez, were cut to ribbons after Loew pin-pointed weaknesses in the defence. Thomas Mueller headed home a Schweinsteiger free-kick to give the Germans an early lead. Striker Miroslav Klose netted twice and defender Arne Friedrich grabbed second-half goals as the Germans scored three times in the final 22 minutes to floor the Argentinians. Germany's run in South Africa ended in the semi-finals when they were starved of possession in losing 1-0 to Spain.
Warsaw, June 28 2012, Euro 2012 semi-final
Arguably the most bitter defeat of Löw's tenure. The Germans had no answer to Andrea Pirlo's precision, Mario Balotelli's power or the Italian's rock-solid defence in Warsaw. With Italy's goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in top form, Germany's attack was thwarted and centre-backs Holger Badstuber and Mats Hummels could not cope with Balotelli's strength. With their backs against the wall, Löw's side lacked leadership, which became a constant topic in the German media up until the criticism was silenced by winning the World Cup two years later.
Belo Horizonte, July 8 2014, World Cup semi-final
It's hard to imagine there ever being a more sensational result at a World Cup. The hosts were emotionally fraught before kick-off having lost superstar forward Neymar to injury. With the Selecao defence in abject disarray, the Germans ruthlessly exploited the situation with four goals coming in six mind-blowing first-half minutes. It finished 5-0 at half-time and there were plenty of tear-stained faces amongst Brazil fans in Belo Horizonte. Toni Kroos netted twice inside two minutes in a superb display while Klose broke the record for the most goals scored at World Cup finals in a crushing opening 45 minutes from the Germans. The message in the half-time dressing room was to stay focused and show the hosts the respect the famous yellow jersey deserved. Andre Schuerrle came off the bench to score twice in the second half and five days later he provided the cross for the goal which won Germany the World Cup title.
Rio de Janeiro, July 13 2014, World Cup final
The crowning moment of Löw's reign as Mario Goetze's extra-time shot sealed the World Cup title at Rio's iconic Maracana Stadium. Loew was emotional at the final whistle, embracing veterans captain Philipp Lahm and Schweinsteiger, who was magnificent in producing his best display in the famous white shirt. On the sidelines, Löw told Goetze 'show the world that you're better than Messi' before bringing him off the bench just before the final whistle. Some 20 minutes later -- with extra time almost up -- Goetze made no mistake with
