Loew keeps eye on U-17 team

kolkata — Germany senior football team coach Joachim Loew is keeping a close eye on how the U-17 boys are performing in the World Cup here, the team’s assistant coach Dennis Lamby said.

“Joachim Loew sent us a message as he is interested to know what we are doing in the World Cup now,” Lamby, 33, told reporters on the sidelines of Germany’s training session here.

Germany will take on threetime champions Brazil in a quarterfinal clash on Sunday.

It was learnt that Loew, who helped Germany win the 2014 World Cup, sent the team a message during the group stages of the tournament.

“It was just ‘I am interested in your performance in India and I wish you all the best’,” said Lamby on the message they received.

Germany lost to Iran in a shock 0-4 result, registering 2-1 and 3-1 victories over Costa Rica and Guinea either side of the defeat to finish second in Group C.

The 1985 runners-up then beat Colombia 4-0 in the prequarterfinal.

Asked the reason for training twice on Friday, the coach said: “Just because we had one training session in the morning to activate the players and in the evening to rehearse at the official kickoff time for Sunday.”

Germany are fretting over a few niggles to some players, the coach said.

“We have a few players who are little bit injured. Yannick Keitel who is doing individual programme this night... But the others we hope will play on Sunday. We are not sure if he is ruled out.”

Dennis Jastrzembski is serving a suspension — he was shown his second yellow card during the team’s 4-0 rout of Colombia in New Delhi.

Lamby was asked about Brazil training with mostly second string players and resting their first team regulars.

He said they are not bothered about that but to win against a side of the might of the South American giants, they need to be at their best defensively as well as offensively. —