Germany and Chile will face off in an interesting international friendly on Wednesday.
This is the eighth match between the two sides; they have not played against one another since June 20, 1982 in the World Cup when Germany won 4-1. The European side holds an advantage of four wins, two losses and one draw in this matchup.
Both teams are on the rise and are widely considered contenders to lift the World Cup this summer. The match on Wednesday will provide a unique test for each side before the upcoming tournament. Can Germany compete with the speed of South American sides? Is Chile an elite team capable of beating Germany? These are the big stories on Wednesday.
Chile's Situation
Chile is on a bit of a winning run. The team has earned victories in four of its last six games and has not lost a single match in that stretch. The wins have come against top competition including Venezuela (Sept. 6), England (Nov. 15), Ecuador (Oct. 15) and Costa Rica (Jan. 22); three of those sides are competing in the World Cup. The most impressive win the group is undoubtedly the victory over England in Wembley by a 2-0 score. It proved that Chile's speed and pressure tactics were capable of taking down even the most physically demanding European sides. Overall, Chile is on a three-game winning streak.
The two draws were mixed results. The first tie came against Spain on Sept. 10 by the score of 2-2. Chile dominated most of that game. On one level, Spain failed to put out its top squad, but on another level, the Chileans were simply able to disrupt Spain's passing game with acute pressing in the midfield. However, the team blew leads twice in the game, including the final goal with time winding down.
Blowing leads was also the main theme of Chile's other draw in the recent stretch. The team took a 3-0 lead in Colombia during a World Cup qualifying match on Oct. 11. A win would have automatically clinched a spot in the tournament, while a draw prolonged the team's suffering for one more game. The team not only imploded, but wound up settling for a 3-3 draw on the strength of two penalty shot goals by Colombia's Radamel Falcao. Spain and Colombia are arguably the two best sides that Chile has faced in recent months, which emphasizes that this team may still be learning. The game against Germany will certainly clarify if they have progressed since those draws in September and October.
Germany's Situation
Germany is also on a big undefeated run. The team has a record of five wins and two draws in its last seven games; the two draws came in August against Paraguay (3-3) and on Nov. 15 against Italy (1-1). Aside from that Germany has been a powerhouse offensively with wins over England, Sweden, Ireland, Faroe Islands and Austria. Aside from Italy, it is arguable that Germany has not faced elite competition in a while; the test against Chile should be interesting.
Player to Watch
Will Joachim Loew utilize Phillip Lahm as a midfielder or defender? The German captain has been stellar for Bayern Munich in the midfield role but has been a defensive mainstay for his national side. It will be interesting to see how he is used.
The game can be watched online via ESPN 3; the match starts at 2:45 p.m. EST.