A quizzical look at World Cup 2006

By: Dave | January 15th, 2008

So the European Championships will be upon us this June with Germany recommencing battle with Poland in their group as they did in the 2006 World Cup.

That tournament was memorable for me for a number of reasons. Firstly, I ended up running my ill-fated tournament website from an Internet cafe in Essen due to the incompetence of Deutsche Telecom, secondly I got my first chance at paid proper work at a UK-based betting site (writing about horse racing of all things - kids, please stay away from betting and stay away especially my tips!) and finally because it was when I decided to moe to live in Germany.

So, as a tribute to those heady days in the summer of 2006 I have prepared a World Cup quiz to see how much you remember of the tournament. I’ve kept the focus mainly on Germany and Bundesliga-based players. I know all the answers are out there on the Internet but perhaps try and use some of that grey matter - it’s much more rewarding!

1. Michael Ballack and Jens Lehmann were officially on the books of Premiership clubs as the tournament got underway but can you name the other British-based player in the German squad?

2. Who was the only defender to play in all seven of Germany’s World Cup matches?

3. Poland fielded two players who had played in the Bundesliga in 2006 in their group encounter against Germany in Dortmund. BVB’s Ebi Smolarek was one, can you name the other? Klinnsy stuck on Question 3.

4. Whose inclusion in Jürgen Klinsmann’s final squad was considered a major shock considering the player had been absent from international duty since 2004?

5. Which Premiership player announced his retirement from international football after being not included in Germany’s 2006 World Cup squad?

6. Which previously uncapped player went on to make four appearances at the 2006 finals for Germany, coming on as substitute in all those games?

7. Which German-based defender replaced Cory Gibbs in the US World Cup squad when the Charlton-bound player unlucky sustained a knee injury days before the tournament started?

8. Which German player won the FIFA Young Player of the World Cup beating Cesc Fabregas, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to the honour?

9. Which Bundesliga-based defender secured a place in Sweden’s World Cup squad but failed to make an appearance at the tournament?

10. Who was the only player from the German 23-man squad not to play any part in the World Cup Finals?

That’s it then. I will presume that anyone not leaving a comment has scored 10 out 10 and just doesn’t want to spoil it for everyone else.

Good luck.