Germany begin search for World Cup test opponents

Cape Town - Germany have begun the search for suitable opponents for friendly matches ahead of the 2010 World Cup and will consider scrapping plans to play Chile. After drawing Australia, Serbia and Ghana, coach Joachim Loew wants to line up matches against opponents with similar playing styles before traveling to South Africa.

Germany canceled a friendly against Chile last month following the death of goalkeeper Rober Enke and intended to play the South Americans before the World Cup.

But having avoided South American opposition in the draw, Loew intends to look for alternatives.

"We are going to have to change things a bit. We were thinking about a game against Chile...Now we have to consider whether that's such a good thing," Loew said.

"We have an opponent in Serbia who play European (football), and an African opponent. We will have to adjust to the style of our opponents."

Germany's last friendly before Loew names his provisional World Cup squad is against Argentina in Munich on March 3.

While Loew described the group as "difficult but manageable", there was a mixed response in Germany where the mass-circulation Bild daily said Germany had again been "kissed by luck."

"We'll do that easily, Jogi (Loew)," Bild wrote.

Spiegel online agreed that it was "a manageable task for the German team" but the Sueddeutsche Zeitung said that for once Germany had not been given the easiest of groups.

"The Germans have ... not got the easiest group (but not the most difficult; conclusion: semi-difficult, a bit treacherous), it wrote in its online edition.

German playing legend Franz Beckenbauer, writing for Bild, said many in Germany would be happy with the "lucky draw" for the national team.

"In Cape Town, I see it a bit differently. We have been given one of the most difficult groups," he said.

Beckenbauer said he thought Germany's group was even the second hardest after Group G containing Brazil, Portugal, Ivory Coast and North Korea.

However he forecast Germany would progress to the last 16 along with Ghana.