Loew still looking for winning recipe

Germany head coach Joachim Loew must feel like the chef of a gourmet restaurant that has just been awarded another star for world-class cooking but can't satisfy mountain-high expectations due to illness or retirement of his best men in the kitchen.

After a disappointing 4-2 loss in the friendly against World Cup final opponent Argentina, an ancient piece of soccer wisdom is coming true en route to Euro 2016 in France: world champions often don't have an easy life after their major success.

In Germany's case, results do little to offer a more optimistic view.