The 2014 Fifa World Cup is vastly approaching. Germany national coach Joachim Löw faces headaches in the goalkeeping department. The choice of the goalkeepers is overwhelming and Jogi Löw has to choice three to be on the plane to Brazil. Over the decades, legendary keepers have played at the World Cup for Germany; Toni Turek; Sepp Maier;  Oliver Kahn.

Manuel Neuer

Former Schalke and current Bayern Munich goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer has been Germany’s national goalkeeper since 2009. The 28 year old has made forty-five appearances for Die Mannschaft. The torhüter is set to play in his second World Cup and in the run up to the campaign he kept five clean sheets in the World Cup qualifiers. Neuer’s club form this season is not short of remarkable, in twenty-eight appearances this season he has kept fourteen clean sheets and four clean sheets in ten games in the UEFA Champions League.  Neuer’s strengths include; distribution; handling; reflexes. This season in the Bundesliga he has 95% claim success, 91% distribution success. This season he has made 48 saves. Manuel Neuer will be picked for the World Cup this season.

Neuer will be on the top of Löw’s list of keepers but he faces the problem of picking the other two. Here are the candidates that could take the other two places.

Marc-André ter Stegen

Current Borussia Mönchengladbach and potential Barcelona goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen has only played on three occasions for the national side since his debut under Löw in 2012. Where he lacks in international experience, he makes up for it in ability. This season in the Bundesliga the 6 ft. 2, 21 year old has kept eight clean sheets and made seventy-six saves. He has made four appearances for the U21 National side this season keeping two clean sheets and conceding three. In 2009, he won the U19 European Championships. The torhüter is just one appearance away from a century of appearances for die Fohlen.

Roman Weidenfeller

The oldest contender for a ticket on the plane to Brazil is 33-year-old Roman Weidenfeller. His only appearance for Germany against England in November of last year, on his debut he kept a clean sheet against England showing his goalkeeping capabilities to Löw.  In twenty-seven Bundesliga matches this season, he has kept nine clean sheets. Weidenfeller has been at BVB for over a decade making 317 appearances with 104 clean sheets. He holds the record for being the oldest debutant to play for Germany.  In his career he has saved nine penalties throughout the leagues and competitions he has played in. Weidenfeller has strengths in shot stopping and positioning, narrowing down the threat of a goal with his positioning and having the ability to save the shot.

Ralf Fährmann

After being on the bench throughout the Hindunde, Ralf Fährmann has has been the saviour of Schalke’s season after playing every game since the ruckrunde. His last international appearance was in 2008 for the U21’s. The 25 year old is yet to make an appearance for the national team in his career but his form in the ruckrunde can warrant him a place in the squad. In his eighteen matches this season he has kept ten clean sheets. He has made forty-eight saves with an average of 2.67 saves per game. His strengths are shot stopping from close and long range also he has strong reflexes, the majority of his saves this season have came from long and close range.

Kevin Trapp

Kevin Trapp has a chance to be at the World Cup in June. He has been at Eintracht Frankfurt for a year and has made fifty-six appearances. He has kept eight clean sheets this season. His strengths include distribution and short-range shots. Trapp can produce quality long passes and start attacks. His distribution success is 66%.  For Germany in friendlies and in qualifying he has kept ten clean sheets.

Bernd Leno

Bernd Leno is the U21 goalkeeper for Germany currently playing for Bayer Leverkusen. The 22 year old is yet to play for the senior squad. For the U21’s he has made thirteen appearances and for Bayer Leverkusen he has made ninety-five appearances keeping twenty-eight clean sheets. An ability of Leno’s is penalty saving, he has saved thirteen out of twenty two penalties he has faced; he has saved eight out of eighteen penalties in the Bundesliga. In the Bundesliga he is just one behind the record of most penalties saved in the Bundesliga behind Jean Marie Pfaff.  Another strength is his reflexes; he has saved seventy-six shots in thirty Bundesliga appearances.

VAVEL prediction: Manuel Neuer/Marc Andre ter Stegen/Ralf Fahrmann.