Imagine two nations that are utterly football crazy. The one nation invented the sport and is home to the best professional league on the planet. This nation is extremely proud of its footballing tradition and at having produced some of the best footballers in recent times. However, international greatness has proved frustratingly elusive, having won only one World Cup title so far.
The other nation took the sport invented by the first and married it with the works of Sun Tzu while parring away anything supercilious like flash and style (and fun some would say). While that country's home league may not be the be the best in Europe, internationally the county's team has been one of the most successful, garnering three World Cup titles and more final appearances than any other team save possibly Brazil.
Now imagine the most intense sports rivalry you know of. Think Yankees-Red Sox or Celtics-Lakers. Now multiply it by 40,000, feed it a heady mixture of tequila, schnapps, PCP and meth, dip it in gasoline, set it on fire and point it in the direction of Fallujah circa 2004 and you might approach the level of intensity that surrounds Germany vs England friendly matches.
As with all things, the reason for the intensity of this rivalry can be found in their shared history.
