Germans look to continue winning ways vs. England

JOHANNESBURG – Germany and England go head to head for a place in the World Cup quarterfinals today, both trying to ignore the hype that always surrounds their matches.

Both sets of players are concentrating fully on the second-round game in Bloemfontein rather than the history of one of the sport’s greatest rivalries.

Since England’s contentious 4-2 extra-time win over Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, Germany has won five of the 11 major tournament finals it has reached. England can count only semifinal appearances in the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European Championship, and lost both in shootouts to Germany.

“This is year 2010 and these games will not mean very much,” Germany captain Philipp Lahm said. “We were not born then.”

England goalkeeper David James said his teammates have enough to think about as they prepare for a team that dismantled Australia 4-0, stumbled against Serbia, then beat Ghana.

“There will be a lot of external references and historical references, but for us it’s a game against a decent outfit and we have to win to progress,” James said.

The teams have not met at a major tournament for a decade.

“England is always England. It’s a team with a lot of fighting spirit and very strong mentally, with incredible experience,” Loew said. “The axis with John Terry, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney has the highest quality you can find in European football.”

The other game today has Argentina, winner of Group B with three victories, against Group A runner-up Mexico at Johannesburg.