Ballack to play against Ecuador

Berlin: Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann has no plan to spare Michael Ballack for the World Cup match against unbeaten Ecuador, despite his captain picking up a yellow card in the win over Poland.

Both Germany and Ecuador have secured places in the second round but Germany wants to win Group A and will use its best team in Tuesday's match in Berlin.

"We are going to take this game very seriously," the coach said. "We want to have a good performance, to give our fans something in our first game in the capital."

Klinsmann has been working the fan factor at matches in Munich and Dortmund and no German player approaches a microphone without praising the fans.

The German squad has garnered fantastic support throughout the nation and Klinsmann's team is eager to ride that wave - one of the four foundations of Klinsmann's project to bring Germany its fourth World Cup title.

Another one is fitness. Klinsmann raised eyebrows and invited ridicule when he brought in American fitness coaches to work with a team always considered among the fittest in the world.

"The fact that we have no injured players now I think speaks for our work," Klinsmann said.

Another factor in Klinsmann's formula is team spirit and the coach has tried to build a strong unit while allowing his players some breathing room and individual freedoms.

The players were told on Friday afternoon to take time off and return on Saturday evening. Some chose to go home, some stayed at the team hotel.

On Saturday evening, all 23 players were back for the training session.

The fourth ingredient for a successful World Cup, according to Klinsmann, is a good portion of luck.

Germany had plenty of that when it scored in injury time to edge Poland 1-0 and earn a place in the second round.

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But it also had plenty of the other three factors and the formula may just work for Klinsmann's team.

Probably the biggest factor, however, is Ballack.

The captain is the key to Germany's success, the only truly world-class player Klinsmann has.

The new Chelsea signing Ballack missed the opening game against Costa Rica with a calf muscle injury but returned against Poland to lead his team.

Ballack's imposing physical presence also gives Klinsmann's team the badly needed defensive stability.

The captain roams the field, disrupting the rival's attacks, then taking the ball forward quickly to find scoring positions.

"The fact that we had 14 chances and they had none tells you all about Ballack's role," Klinsmann said.

Ballack is never shy of responding to a challenge and unfortunately it often results in him picking up yellow cards.

He was cautioned once against Poland and if he gets another yellow against Ecuador, he'll miss the second-round game - a knockout match that could see Germany play England.

Four years ago, Ballack was on one caution going into the semi-finals and made a professional foul against South Korea, got the yellow card, then scored the winning goal - and had to sit out the final. Brazil beat Germany 2-0.