Neil Humphreys: Germans own world football
At every level, they are over-producing ruthless trophy hunters
There is talk on Twitter of the Fifa rankings being revised.
The top three nations in world football are now Germany, Germany B and Germany's Under-21s.
If Die Mannschaft maintain their dominance of the global game, then some sort of handicapping system may be in order.
Oh wait, it already exists.
The Germans, being the permanently dissatisfied masochists that they are, handicap themselves.
In selection terms, they defeated Chile in the Confederations Cup final yesterday morning (Singapore time) with their legs tied together.
Like a father promising to kick with his weaker left football to appease his toddler, Joachim Loew seems to burden himself with additional challenges to make the sporting contest more appealing.
Germany have lifted two international trophies in a week with weakened sides.
The Euro U-21 crown was taken care of without the potential services of at least nine eligible and proven performers.
And the jaunty expedition across Russia was achieved without - take a deep breath here - Neuer, Hummels, Boateng, Howedes, Guendogan, Weigl, Mueller, Reus, Oezil, Sane, Goetze, Gomez, Schuerrle, Khedira and Kroos.
Surnames suffice because this column has a strict word count, but the surnames are also symbolic. These men are above-the-line superstars.
Like a Stallone, Cruise or Downey Jr carrying a movie, these guys can carry a football match. Many of them carried Germany to a World Cup triumph in Brazil three years ago.
SPORTING CYNICISM
But Loew included just three World Cup winners in his Confederations Cup squad and endured the inevitable scepticism and abuse back home.
That's what Germans do. Sporting cynicism dominates the national psyche until another cup is won.
During the World Cup three years ago, Loew was always one game away from being sacked until Argentina were defeated in the final.
Germany lift trophies or they fail. There's no middle ground, no peoples' champions or medals for participation. They win. Others lose. That's life.
So Loew had earned a touch of smugness in his celebrations, declaring that he now has 50 players to choose his 23-man World Cup squad from.
He had been vindicated. Fortune had favoured the brave. Only it hadn't. There was nothing fortuitous about Germany winning both the U-21 and Confederations Cup finals just days apart.
The coaching revolution that began after the Euro 2000 debacle and continued with root and branch reform of youth development at every Bundesliga academy culminated with... Well... It didn't. It'll never culminate. It can't.
That's the point.
The revolutionary journey is one without an end, one where the goalposts are constantly pushed backwards.
Germany prevailed with the class of Khedira, Oezil, Mueller and Goetze and swiftly moved onto the next one before any of that generation had turned 30.
Those guys should still feature at the World Cup, but Loew's line-ups are always sketched in pencil.
If complacency is a disease, then a Confederations Cup victory with the B team is as good a cure as any.
To make a relevant comparison, England's Paul Scholes and Germany's Philipp Lahm shared similar attributes in their prime. Their positional awareness and almost peripheral vision gave them a wonderful eye for a pass.
After almost a decade, England still haven't replaced Scholes. Joshua Kimmich replaced Lahm within a year.
The Bayern Munich right back obviously hasn't reached Lahm's stature just yet, but he's filled the legend's boots with remarkable maturity for both club and country.
Still only 22, Kimmich enjoyed a senior status at the Confederations Cup, an experienced old hand when it came to dealing with a nerve-shredding final.
His youthful effervescence proved more palatable than Chile's vintage.
The South Americans had played together for a decade, winning the Copa America twice. The Confederations Cup was their third final in three years.
They were hoping for a hat-trick.
Three years ago, some of the Germans were hoping for hairs on their chins.
NEXT OFF THE INCUBATOR
Antonio Ruediger was the tournament's most accomplished centre back. He recently turned 24 and could be on his way to Chelsea.
In central midfield, Leon Goretzka came of age in Russia. He's 22 and on his way to wherever he likes.
Timo Werner finished as the joint top-scorer with three goals and two assists. He's 21 and could lead Germany's attack for the next decade.
While most nations grasp in the darkness for the "Next Big Thing", those Bundesliga incubators continue to produce the next big squad.
They breed footballers in batches.
Chile had enough men for the job, but Germany just had too many little monsters and, when they return to Russia next year, they'll be downright terrifying.
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