SANTO ANDRE Brazil (Reuters) - History weighs heavily on the shoulders of football players from Germany, a country that latches on to the glory of its three World Cup titles with special reverence - in part due to a shortage of national heroes after its belligerent 20th century.
Winning trophies, and especially the World Cup, is special in countries almost everywhere but for Germans the dreams, aspirations and identity of the entire nation are closely linked to their success - or failure - in the four-yearly tournament.