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BERLIN – Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann sprung a surprise when naming his World Cup squad Monday, including the uncapped David Odonkor of Borussia Dortmund but leaving out Schalke 04 striker Kevin Kuranyi.
Klinsmann described the 22-year-old Odonkor as a “huge talent” who could turn a game with his speed and ability to do the unexpected. “These are things we desperately need,” said Klinsmann.
VfL Wolfsburg striker Mike Hanke was also included as were VfB Stuttgart’s Thomas Hitzlsperger, Jens Nowotny of Bayer Leverkusen and Oliver Neuville of Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Apart from Kuranyi, other disappointed players include his Schalke team-mate Fabian Ernst and Werder Bremen’s Patrick Owomoyela.
“It hurts the players but we can only name 23,” said Klinsmann, who said he had made some “very tough telephone calls” informing players of his choice.
Klinsmann said he had decided against calling up Kuranyi because of the striker’s poor form this year while he justified Nowotny’s inclusion on the grounds of the veteran defender’s experience.
Michael Ballack, who signed a three-year deal with English Premiership club Chelsea Monday will be team captain.
Klinsmann said he was convinced he had picked “the right players” to succeed in securing a fourth World Cup title for Germany.
“The title is our objective and our dream,” said Klinsmann. “The target we set ourselves has to be to be in it to the end. We think this team can do it.”
Die 23-man squad will meet Tuesday in Frankfurt where a 60-minute match against regional side FSV Luckenwalde has been organized. The squad will then fly out later Tuesday to its training camp in Sardinia.
As hosts, Germany will open the World Cup on June 9 against Costa Rica in Munich.
Germany’s World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich), Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart)
Defenders: Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Robert Huth (Chelsea), Marcell Jansen (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker, (Hanover 96), Christoph Metzelder, (Borussia Dortmund), Jens Nowotny, (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Midfielders: Michael Ballack, (Bayern München), Tim Borowski, (Werder Bremen), Torsten Frings, (Werder Bremen), Thomas Hitzlsperger, (VfB Stuttgart), Sebastian Kehl, (Borussia Dortmund), David Odonkor, (Borussia Dortmund), Bernd Schneider, (Bayer 04 Leverkusen), Bastian Schweinsteiger, (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Gerald Asamoah, (Schalke 04), Mike Hanke, (VfL Wolfsburg), Miroslav Klose, (Werder Bremen), Oliver Neuville, (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Lukas Podolski, (Cologne)
DPA
Subject: German news