So we bid Germany farewell from the 2010 World Cup. As the tournament's highest scorers with 13 goals (although 12 of them were bagged in three of their six games), they will be missed.
Although they came into this competition not rated by many of their own compatriots, and certainly not by most of the blinkered British punditry, they will - I guarantee - be among the favourites for the 2012 European Championships and the 2014 World Cup. If they can keep this young team together they could easily emulate the German World Cup winners of 1954, 1974 and 1990, and European winners of 1972 1980 and 1996.
Amazing isn't it, the success Germany has had over the years?
Not really, because their league and national set-up is structured to bring success to the national team. When things went wrong in 2000 they went back to the drawing board and saw how to fix them. Now they have another good set of players, who might dominate the international scene for many years.
Will the same happen in England after the latest debacle? No, if past evidence is anything to go by. England have consistently failed since 1973 yet nothing has been done.
It will be interesting to see what happens when England play Hungary on 11 August. Will Wembley be full? Will Capello dispose of some of the serial failures? Will the crowd welcome the newcomers with cheers? Or greet the "tainted generation" with boos? I can't imagine there will be a "forgive and forget" feeling.
Yet three days later the Premier League starts, and England will be forgotten then.
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