5 key players for Germany at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Germany will arrive at the 2014 Brazilian World Cup as one of the hot favourites hoping to break the 3rdplace curse and win the coveted crown which was eluded them for the past 24 years. This would be the 15th consecutive World cup that Germany have qualified for,winning it thrice (1954, 1974, 1990) and finishing runners up on four occasions.The German squad is a mix of experience and youth capable of playing an offensive brand of football which they are famous for. They have one of the best squads in terms of the midfield personnel which is an important department of their team. They have global superstars who are versatile in playing different positions across the midfield which can confound the opponents. Coming into the World Cup on the back of an impressive campaign the German team would be looking to go on all cylinders to get theirs hands on the Cup.We take a look at 5 important players who will make an impact at this World Cup (EDIT: This has been updated after the injury to Marco Reus).You can see the Top 5 players for other teams here:FIFA World Cup top 5 Players for each country

#5 Manuel Neuer

He has been Germanys undisputed No.1 for the past 4 years since he replaced the injured Adler in the 2010 edition of the world cup. The 28 year old has made 45 appearances for the German national team till date. Standing at 193 cm he is widely regarded as one of the most complete goal keepers in the world.

Barring a last minute mishap, he would be on course to play his second world cup on the back of an impressive showing at the qualifiers where he kept five clean sheets. Loew pointed out very recently that He exudes an unbelievable aura which stems from the fact that the shot stopper offers a certain calmness, surety and extra line of protection to the team. He is well known for being highly vocal, authoritative and efficient in organizing the back line be it in set pieces or open play. Renowned in being the best reflex keeper his strengths also include distribution and handling.

This season he has made 48 saves, 95% claim success, 91% distribution success in the Bundesliga which is impressive when compared against keepers from different leagues.

However, certain chinks remain in his armor; he is at times susceptible to long distance shots which might be due to the fact that he faces fewer shots due to the superiority of the Bayern team. Also, at times he is indecisive when coming off his line to save a shot.

He still remains one of the best keepers Germany has ever produced and hence, it will be vital that he is able to shrug off his shoulder injury to bolster the German charge.