Ballack fights his corner

In what promises to be the most emotional occasion of the entire championships, with the Austrian co-hosts, who a week ago were happy to play along with the idea of being laughable no-hopers, now suddenly scenting a reprise of their greatest sporting night of 30 years ago by beating the tournament favourites and sending their 'big brothers' packing across the border quite humiliated.

There'll be a 50,000 full house at the Ernst Happel Stadium, while Viennese officials have had to open up another 40,000-seater stadium to screen the game and take pressure off police, who are expected to have to cope with another 75,000 fans, including many from Germany, all descending on the city's 'fan mile'.

Ever since Croatia's victory over Germany offered them the unlikeliest of reprieves, the Austrian red tops have heated things up nicely, with award for most unnecessary wind-up going to striker Martin Harnik with his delicate declaration: "We scare the **** out of Germany". As for arch bogeyman, that was obvious from the paper which dubbed Ballack a perennial loser.

The fond idea in Austria is that if you stop Ballack, you stop Germany. Poland thought similarly, which is why one paper carried on its front page the fantastically crass image of the Chelsea man's bloodied head being brandished by coach Leo Beenhakker.

Worked well, didn't it? Germany strolled it 2-0.

Now Ballack is adamant that Austrian dirty tricks won't work either, even if every German must be heartily sick of hearing how their 1974 world champions were knocked out in 1978 in Argentina by the Austrians' fabled 3-2 victory, a game in which the Austrian coach, Josef
Hickersberger, played. The 'Miracle of Cordoba', as one side remembers it, or the 'Shame of Cordoba' as the other regards it, no matter. "I think we'll win," said Ballack matter-of-fact, although a draw would suffice.

What persuades him is a meeting the players convened at their luxury Swiss hotel on the shore of Lake Maggiore after the Croatia loss.

Not a "crisis meeting", Ballack was insistent, but it sounded like one of those astonishingly frank, clear-the-air sessions that sparky German players have always enjoyed ever since the one during the 1974 World Cup which helped turn a threatened shambles into a national triumph.

This forum, combined with coach Joachim Loew's one-to-one sessions with players - "He was louder than usual," Ballack said of his dapper boss - may have been timely because there were hints of disunity raised after the Croatia game when Ballack and Miroslav Klose, in particular, were openly critical of the attitude of some of their colleagues.

Yet Ballack was big enough in the meeting to own up to his own underachievementin the tournament. "After such a game [against Croatia], you have to accept criticism," he said.

Still, his disappearing act against the Croats only provided more ammunition for those in Germany who, in a trophy-free era for the Mannschaft, have always suspected him as a false heir to leaders like Beckenbauer, Vogts and Matthaus who captained previous championship-winning sides. He's ready to prove them all wrong. "I carry out this role [of captain] in a calm manner," Ballack said.

"Zinedine Zidane did the same thing; he was his team's leader simply because of his class and his manner of playing." Hmm. Perhaps not the most comforting comparison. Germany need Ballack using his head all right - but no butts.