Things are getting much colder for Werder’s internationals as winter temperatures in South Africa have dropped drastically and even fallen below the freezing mark. After the first couple of comfortable days weather-wise, the training clothing of Marko Marin, Per Mertesacker, Mesut Özil and Tim Wiese has gotten longer. But the only thing that matters for the Werder players is Germany’s second group match against Serbia on Friday.

"I still have family and a lot of friends in the former Yugoslavia," said Marin Marin, who was born in Gradiška (today Bosnia-Herzegovina). "Many of them are supporting Serbia at the World Cup. So that makes it a very special game for me," said the Werder midfielder. The 21-year-old does not expect an easy match. "Serbia is very strong. Guys like Vidic or Ivanovic also play for top clubs and are strong defenders. Therefore you cannot read too much into their slow start against Ghana."

The cold is not the only thing the German team is dealing with. The heavy rains of the last couple of days have also caused problems. The stadium in Port Elizabeth was suspended due to weather conditions, not allowing the Germans to take part in their final training and making the German team change their travel plans. Germany did not travel to Port Elizabeth – the location of the second group game – until Thursday night. That means the hotel moviehouse at the Germans’ headquarters will remain empty. Per Mertesacker and a few other team-mates were watching Inglorious Bastards on Wednesday.