Germany’s Loew doesn’t feel Ballack absence

(GSM) – Germany coach Joachim Loew has admitted that his side are not experiencing the absence of injured midfielder Michael Ballack.

Ballack, who was ruled out of the World Cup before the tournament was due to start, whose absence at the time of injury was seen as a major blow to Germany’s chances.

However, Loew’s men thrashed Australia 4-0 in their opening game and put in a performance that sent out warning signs to their rivals.

Loew insists that while Ballack is still a quality player, he was delighted with the way his team coped without him.

He said: “With Ballack missing, I had to look for a solution. I was lucky that more and more players stepped up to the mark.

“With Sami Khedira, you can draw a parallel between him and a young Ballack. It seems up to now we have dealt with his absence fairly well.

“Michael Ballack was an important player who has immense experience.

“Space distribution is the key to good football. It’s no use if players are clustered together.

“I would like to see offensive football, combination play and a certain culture. Combination play is not something you are born with, it has to be practised on the training pitch.”