They say European Championships are usually better tournaments than World Cups. That's certainly been the case over the past ten years, and the first two days of Euro 2008 make it seem likely this theory will be further substantiated over the coming weeks.
Empics
Lukas Podolski played on the left flank but was front and centre when the chances needed taking.
From a football fan's point of view, the first four games brought a lot of good news, among them offence-minded teams and players who appear to be in a much better physical and mental shape than has been the case during the past two or three tournaments.
And from a German fan's point of view, the first four games brought almost exclusively excellent news. I say 'almost', because there's one little thing that worries me, but I'll come to that later.
The best news, of course, was yesterday's game in Klagenfurt, the 2-0 victory over Poland. More important than the naked result was the game itself - not despite but precisely because of the half hour during which Germany lost the plot, gave the ball away too often and left the strikers out to dry.
During those 30 minutes, you had to fear for the team because an equaliser after, say, an hour or so could have had unpleasant consequences. On the other hand, Poland didn't create any clear-cut opportunities even though they now had more possession, won most of the one-on-ones and enjoyed plenty of space on the right wing. Jens Lehmann didn't have to make a single proper save until eight minutes from time, and even that was a save you have to expect a good keeper to make.
Before this shaky half hour, Germany played some excellent football with plenty of movement, quick passing and great mental alertness. And, which is particularly fine news from a coach's perspective, they did so again in the final twenty minutes.
A good move involving Torsten Frings, Philipp Lahm and then Michael Ballack (whose first-time shot was stunningly saved by keeper Artur Boruc) signalled Germany had gotten their act together again. That's what you call bootstrapping, and it's always a good sign.
If you cast your mind back to the 2006 World Cup, you'll recall that Germany's game against Poland was probably the most emotional match of the whole tournament. The joyous scenes of celebration after Germany's late winner and the exuberance of the crowd baffled quite a few neutral observers, because the Germans had, after all, merely won a group game they could have afforded to draw, perhaps even lose.
But it wasn't so much the result that counted two years ago. It was the knowledge that the team could dominate a decent opponent (the opening game, against Costa Rica, had been a meeting with unknowns) and the realisation that the side was willing to move forward even if it didn't have to - and was rewarded for that courage.
Psychologically, it was a similar affair yesterday evening. The Poles are a better side than they were two years ago and were quite adventurous in their own regard, defending very far up-field. Yet Germany once again took the game to them and, if anything, even stepped up a gear when they were 1-0 up. Then came the scrappy 30 minutes and just when you thought it might be a good idea to bring on a few defensively sound players and sit on the narrow lead, the team started attacking again.
Empics
Milking the moment: The German players and fans enjoy the victory over Poland.
In brief: it was a perfect opening match for Germany, preferable even to an easy win. And we haven't yet mentioned all the small things that added to the overall picture, such as an impressive performance from Clemens Fritz that surprised the hell out of me.
Or that Podolski indeed made the most of his position in left midfield. (Yes, he did score both goals from a striker's position. But that's the point. In modern football, route one rarely works. What you need is someone to come from midfield to make use of the space that opens up when the full backs follow the strikers.)
And there were still more good news, though not from Klagenfurt. In Vienna, Croatia and Austria delivered 90 minutes that make it seem Germany are indeed the favourites in this group. At the very least there is no reason to fear either of these teams. And similar news came from Basle where the Czechs, a team Germany could meet in the quarter-finals, looked very pedestrian. And even slightly unfit, as it seemed as if they were fading rapidly in the second half.
Which, at last, leads me to the one thing I worry about. I guess I haven't told you this before, but when I was asked about Germany's chances at a reading the other day, I said I considered it likely the team would reach the final - and then lose.
See, I based this prediction on the Ballack factor. In 2002, Ballack lost the league championship on the last day, lost the German FA Cup final and also lost the Champions League final in heartbreaking fashion - before leading Germany to the World Cup final, won by Brazil. Substitute FA Cup for League Cup and it's been the same story this season. So far.
Of course my prediction wasn't entirely serious, since I'm not normally a superstitious person. Still, I felt it was a likely scenario - until I saw Portugal. To be honest, I didn't expect this team to be that good, which may be the main reason why their performance made me anxious. This, after all, could be Germany's semi-final opponent, if everything goes according to plan.
But that's still quite some time in the future. Until then, let us enjoy what is shaping up to be a good tournament. After all, the two most convincing victories so far were racked up by the two most offensive teams - who also committed the least fouls. What more can you want?
