Can Germany Break The Jinx?

German-Dutch soccer matches, even if they're just friendlies, are seldom nice. With a long line of dramatic wins and losses, the arch-rivalry between the two neighbors always guarantees a sensational game.

The German national soccer team will be braced for a tough show when they face-off against Marco van Basten's Netherlands Wednesday night in Rotterdam. Victories against the Oranje have been few and far between in the past two decades, with just three in 11 encounters. The last one was in 1996 at De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam, when the German team managed to squeeze out a 1-0 win thanks to Jürgen Klinsmann's penalty conversion in the 19th minute.

But besides the fact of beating an old foe, Klinsmann, the former striker-turned coach, would like for his side to do something a German team has not accomplished since October 2000 -- that is to finally beat one of the world's top teams.

Since their 1-0 victory over England five years ago, Germany has reeled off a string of 14 losses or draws against quality competition. A third-place finish at the Confederations Cup in June may look impressive in the record books, but wins against Australia, Tunisia or Mexico won't keep the experts quiet for long.

Klinsmann, usually the epitome of sunshine and optimism – a carry-over from his year-round home in California – is not upbeat about Wednesday's match. "This game has come too early for us," he said. "A lot of our players have just got back into training after the Confederations Cup."

The return of experience

The big stars of the Confed Cup were youngsters -- the 20-year-old striker Lukas Podolski and the year-older midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger -- who are being left behind for the Rotterdam game. According to the coaching staff, the two are getting well-deserved breaks.

Their absence may be the break some of the players from years past have been waiting for.

For Wednesday's friendly, Liverpool midfielder Dietmar "Didi" Hamann, has been called back into the national squad after recovering from a foot injury, and more than a year after a less than stellar performance at the Euro 2004.

"He is the kind of player who despite a few injuries in the past few months has played the style that fits him," Klinsmann told kicker magazine. "And he had a great deal to do with FC Liverpool's victory in the Champions League."

The 33-year-old defender Christian Wörns is also ready to play again after injuries sidelined him for months. It should be a welcome return in the eyes of goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. He and his colleagues Jens Lehmann and Timo Hildebrand had to fetch the ball from out of the net 11 times in five games at the Confed Cup.

Miroslav Klose, already with three goals in the Bundesliga, also missed the Confed Cup. The starter-status of the six-goal scorer at the World Cup 2002 has been threatened by the rise of Lukas Podolski.

Tops in the Bundesliga doesn't mean tops in Holland

On the opposite side, the fate of Dutch striker Roy Makaay, who leads the German Bundesliga with five strikes in two matches, looks to be the one sitting on the bench. The traditional Dutch 4-3-3 with just one true striker means that, just as in years past, Makaay will be watching from the sidelines most of the match. Ruud van Nistelrooy has the better cards in the mind of coach van Basten.

The statistics speak loads against Makaay: only six goals in 42 matches for Oranje. Still, German coaches think he should be a starter. "If van Basten wants to make things difficult for (German) goalkeeper Kahn, then he should start Makaay," Bayern coach Felix Magath commented.

High-risk match in Rotterdam

Regardless of the line-up and the plays on the field, the historic rivalry between Germany and the Netherlands guarantees a full stadium, with thousands of fans crossing the border into "enemy" territory to cheer on their favorites.

Because the animosity runs deep among soccer fans, security officials are taking no chances. Many remember all-to-well the 1996 riot in Rotterdam when three people were stabbed and some 70 taken into custody following clashes between German hooligans and Dutch police.

This time around, authorities from both countries are cooperating in patrolling the 572-kilometer border, stopping cars and trains for suspected hooligans. Dutch police have also been given the authority to search visitors in the city's downtown. There will be no alcohol consumption in or around the De Kuip stadium. And some 2,000 German fans will be escorted to the Ahoy complex in the southern part of the city to pick up their tickets, thereby avoiding the city center and any possible mingling with Dutch fans.

Such security precautions have grown more and more common in the world of European soccer, where nationalist sentiments combine with sports fever to reach dangerous levels. The open borders and ease of transportation between rival countries also means that fans can follow their teams almost anywhere. Just this past March, German hooligans brought shame on their country when they clashed with Slovenians during an away match.