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Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Friday, January 20, 2012
Jupp Heynckes Incar Bek Borussia Monchengladbach
9:59 PM
Pelatih Bayern Munich Jupp Heynckes mengaku terkesan dengan performa bek Borussia Monchengladbach Dante menjelang pertemuan kedua tim di Bundesliga Jerman, Sabtu (21/1) dinihari WIB.
Pemain asal Brasil itu sebelumnya menyatakan ingin bermain di klub besar Eropa sekaliber Bayern, dan Heynckes menilai pemain berusia 28 tahun itu sudah mengalami peningkatan signifikan.
“Saya musti mengatakan dia telah mengalami peningkatan bagus, dan menjalani pertandingan dengan sempurna,” ujar Heynckes kepada Express.de.
Sebagian besar pasang mata bakal menatap Marco Reus dalam pertandingan di Borussia Park tersebut, setelah gelandang Gladbach ini memilih Borussia Dortmund dibandingkan Bayern.
Heynckes mengungkapkan, ia sudah tahu sejak awal pemain berusia 22 tahun itu memilih Dortmund, dan menilai Reus harus berjuang keras bila ingin masuk tim inti Bayern.
“Setiap tim punya pemain seperti Marco Reus yang bisa membuat perubahan. Secara tidak sengaja, saya sudah tahu dia lebih memilih ke BVB. Itu keputusan tepat, karena bersama kami, dia harus menjalani kompetisi ketat,” kata Heynckes.
Bayern mengawali musim ini dengan kekalahan dari Gladbach, dan Heynckes berharap anak asuhnya bisa membalas hasil itu.
“Kami ingin balas dendam. Tapi tidak mudah. Kepercayaan diri Gladbach sudah kembali, dan itu memperkuat mereka. Mereka juga mendapat dukungan dari fans. Satu hal yang bisa diperkirakan, laga ini berjalan menarik,” ucap Heynckes.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Wolfsburg make their move for Mandžukić
2:14 AM
VfL Wolfsburg general manager Dieter Hoeness is backing Mario Mandžukić to "add lots of power to our attack" after the Bundesliga outfit signed the Croatia forward from NK Dinamo Zagreb.
VfL Wolfsburg have strengthened their attacking options by signing Croatian international striker Mario Mandžukić from NK Dinamo Zagreb for a fee reported to be in the region of €7-8m.
Mandžukić, 24, has agreed a four-year contract with the Bundesliga club and will compete for a place in the Wolves' forward line with prolific duo Edin Džeko and Grafite. "We're very happy to have signed Mario and are convinced that he'll add lots of power to our attack," said Dieter Hoeness, the Wolfsburg general manager. "It is also an advantage that he speaks German."
Mandžukić scored 14 goals in 24 league appearances last term as Dinamo won the Croatian title for the fifth successive season. In total, Mandžukić averaged better than a goal every two games for his former club, striking 42 times in 81 matches. He signed off as a Dinamo player with two goals in a 5-1 defeat of FC Koper in the first leg of a UEFA Champions League second qualifying round tie on Tuesday.
Naturally, Wolsfburg coach Steve McClaren is delighted to have acquired the forward who moved to Germany in 1992 with his parents, starting his youth career with TSF Ditzingen. "In our system it is important that the strikers are flexible," said McClaren. "I have followed Mandžukić for a while and I'm happy that he's with us now."
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thomas Muller Win Golden Boot before World Cup
1:03 AM
Thomas Muller admits he never believed he would win the adidas Golden Boot before the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ began.
The 20-year-old forward, who only made his international debut in March, scored five times in South Africa to clinch the award. David Villa, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Forlan also scored five goals, but the Bayern Munich man's three assists saw him edge out the trio.
"This is just incredible for a newcomer to the World Cup. If anyone had told me I'd end on eight scorer points, I'd have said they were kidding me," Muller said on Bayern's official website. "It's an honour of course, but at the end of the day, I'd rather have had the World Cup itself."
Muller's performances in helping Germany reach the semi-finals in South Africa also won him the Hyundai Best Young Player award.
"It's a huge honour to be part of a group including the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Michael Owen and the most recent winner, Lukas Podolski," added Muller. "For me personally, it's terrific confirmation of the work I've put in over the last year. I'm delighted my great run has continued here, and I've really enjoyed it too. The honour will be with me for all time, and it's a wonderful memento too."
Monday, July 12, 2010
Germany finished third at the World Cup 2010 South Africa
1:00 AM
It seemed the three-time champions were set for a comfortable evening when Thomas Mueller capped a period of dominance with a straightforward finish after Fernando Muslera spilled a long-range drive from Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Uruguay forced their way back into proceedings through Edinson Cavani before Diego Forlan put them ahead with an acrobatic volley shortly after half-time.
Uruguay forced their way back into proceedings through Edinson Cavani before Diego Forlan put them ahead with an acrobatic volley shortly after half-time.
But more poor goalkeeping from Muslera allowed Marcell Jansen to equalise and Khedira then capitalised on Uruguay's failure to clear a Mesut Ozil corner to ensure Germany would end their tournament on a happy note.
The third-place play-off is often billed as a match that no team wants to play - but this encounter made a mockery of any such suggestion.
Uruguay exceeded all expectations in reaching the last four and, with a parade through the streets of Montevideo and a date with President Jose Mujica planned for Monday, they were desperate to finish their campaign on a high.
Germany, meanwhile, are a hugely talented young squad who will be together for some years and viewed the meeting with La Celeste as another stepping stone in their development.
Oscar Tabarez's men signalled their intent by restoring fit-again captain Diego Lugano and star striker Luis Suarez, suspended for the last-four defeat by the Netherlands, to the starting line-up.
Although Germany made five changes from the side beaten by Spain, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski were suffering from a virus, Miroslav Klose had a bad back and coach Joachim Loew was still able to name an enviable line-up.
And it was clear from the opening exchanges that this was no friendly as Mueller saw a strike ruled out for handball, Dennis Aogo escaped with a caution for a terrible studs-up challenge on Diego Perez and Forlan curled a free-kick just over.
It was Germany, though, who dominated the early possession and, after Arne Friedrich had nodded a Ozil corner against the crossbar, they opened the scoring.
Schweinsteiger unleashed a swerving drive from about 35 yards that was spilled by Muslera, offering Mueller a simple finish to draw level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder on five goals.
Germany might have been expected to kick on from there but instead they sat back on their lead and invited Uruguay forward, while looking to launch the occasional counter-attack of their own.
The two-time champions duly settled into a tidy rhythm, showcasing their ability to turn defence into attack at frightening pace, and were soon back on level terms.
Schweinsteiger, captaining Germany in the absence of Lahm, was robbed of possession by Perez before Forlan fed Cavani and the 23-year-old Palermo striker calmly slotted past Hans Joerg Butt.
Despite persistent rainfall at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Uruguay were passing and moving beautifully and they should have gone ahead before the break when Forlan released Suarez, only for the Ajax frontman to drag a shot wide.
Germany, making a record fifth appearance in the third-place play-off, seemed to have lost their earlier intensity and that allowed the South Americans, full of desire and no shortage of quality, to pick up where they left off in the second period.
Forlan, Suarez and Cavani caused their opponents all manner of problems and, after Cavani and Suarez were denied by Butt, Forlan met Egidio Arevalo's cross with a superb volley to notch his fifth goal of the finals.
Uruguay deserved their advantage and, with Germany showing little potency in the final third, they looked set fair for a fine victory.
But Muslera's unconvincing attempt at claiming a Jerome Boateng cross allowed Jansen to divert the ball into an unguarded net and suddenly the momentum had shifted.
Uruguay, who have still not beaten a European team at the World Cup since 1970, rapidly began to tire and Germany substitute Stefan Kiessling twice squandered opportunities to grab the winner before Khedira made no mistake.
Tabarez's players refused to accept defeat and almost forced extra time, Forlan curled a 92nd-minute free-kick on to the bar.
But Germany held on and their celebrations at full-time showed exactly what this result meant to them.
The third-place play-off is often billed as a match that no team wants to play - but this encounter made a mockery of any such suggestion.
Uruguay exceeded all expectations in reaching the last four and, with a parade through the streets of Montevideo and a date with President Jose Mujica planned for Monday, they were desperate to finish their campaign on a high.
Germany, meanwhile, are a hugely talented young squad who will be together for some years and viewed the meeting with La Celeste as another stepping stone in their development.
Oscar Tabarez's men signalled their intent by restoring fit-again captain Diego Lugano and star striker Luis Suarez, suspended for the last-four defeat by the Netherlands, to the starting line-up.
Although Germany made five changes from the side beaten by Spain, Philipp Lahm and Lukas Podolski were suffering from a virus, Miroslav Klose had a bad back and coach Joachim Loew was still able to name an enviable line-up.
And it was clear from the opening exchanges that this was no friendly as Mueller saw a strike ruled out for handball, Dennis Aogo escaped with a caution for a terrible studs-up challenge on Diego Perez and Forlan curled a free-kick just over.
It was Germany, though, who dominated the early possession and, after Arne Friedrich had nodded a Ozil corner against the crossbar, they opened the scoring.
Schweinsteiger unleashed a swerving drive from about 35 yards that was spilled by Muslera, offering Mueller a simple finish to draw level with David Villa and Wesley Sneijder on five goals.
Germany might have been expected to kick on from there but instead they sat back on their lead and invited Uruguay forward, while looking to launch the occasional counter-attack of their own.
The two-time champions duly settled into a tidy rhythm, showcasing their ability to turn defence into attack at frightening pace, and were soon back on level terms.
Schweinsteiger, captaining Germany in the absence of Lahm, was robbed of possession by Perez before Forlan fed Cavani and the 23-year-old Palermo striker calmly slotted past Hans Joerg Butt.
Despite persistent rainfall at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Uruguay were passing and moving beautifully and they should have gone ahead before the break when Forlan released Suarez, only for the Ajax frontman to drag a shot wide.
Germany, making a record fifth appearance in the third-place play-off, seemed to have lost their earlier intensity and that allowed the South Americans, full of desire and no shortage of quality, to pick up where they left off in the second period.
Forlan, Suarez and Cavani caused their opponents all manner of problems and, after Cavani and Suarez were denied by Butt, Forlan met Egidio Arevalo's cross with a superb volley to notch his fifth goal of the finals.
Uruguay deserved their advantage and, with Germany showing little potency in the final third, they looked set fair for a fine victory.
But Muslera's unconvincing attempt at claiming a Jerome Boateng cross allowed Jansen to divert the ball into an unguarded net and suddenly the momentum had shifted.
Uruguay, who have still not beaten a European team at the World Cup since 1970, rapidly began to tire and Germany substitute Stefan Kiessling twice squandered opportunities to grab the winner before Khedira made no mistake.
Tabarez's players refused to accept defeat and almost forced extra time, Forlan curled a 92nd-minute free-kick on to the bar.
But Germany held on and their celebrations at full-time showed exactly what this result meant to them.
Uruguay
|
2-3 |
|
FT |
| Cavani, 28 Forlan, 51 |
(HT 1-1) | Muller, 18 Jansen, 56 Khedira, 82 |
|
Team |
|||
Uruguay
|
Germany
|
||
Substitutes:
| Substitutes:
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| |||
Germany
(05 Gargano, 77)Thursday, July 8, 2010
Carles Puyol brought La Furia Roja to the finals, after defeating Germany through the Dramatic games
1:00 PM
Vicente del Bosque's side won their third straight game 1-0 and will now play the Netherlands in Sunday's final at Soccer City.
Spain deserved their victory after controlling huge periods of the match, but once again it was far from a vintage performance.
Del Bosque's team improved on their scrappy performance against Paraguay in the previous round but still struggled to carve out clear openings.
Spain deserved their victory after controlling huge periods of the match, but once again it was far from a vintage performance.
Del Bosque's team improved on their scrappy performance against Paraguay in the previous round but still struggled to carve out clear openings.
The winning goal came when Puyol showed great determination to atone for a poor first-half miss by heading home Xavi's corner with 17 minutes remaining.
The Euro 2008 champions, who defeated Germany 1-0 in the final of that competition, should have scored a second after striking with the sort of counter-attack that had been a trademark of their opponents' play in this competition, but Pedro failed to pick out a completely unmarked Fernando Torres.
Germany had invited pressure by adopting an increasingly deep defensive line as the match wore on - and may regret not taking the game to their opponents more while it remained goalless.
Joachim Loew's team scored four against both England and Argentina in their previous games and had illuminated the competition with their bold play.
But they had few opportunities to strike on the counter against Spain and so Germany taste defeat at the semi-final stage for the second successive World Cup.
Spain coach Del Bosque chose Wednesday's tie to drop the out-of-form Torres, drafting in Barcelona's lively young forward Pedro and deploying David Villa as a lone striker.
And while Del Bosque's team certainly looked comfortable as they worked the ball around midfield, Germany showed excellent shape and discipline, and were rarely dragged out of position.
Spain did occasionally pick holes in the German defensive structure, with Pedro playing in Villa only for keeper Manuel Neuer to deny him after only five minutes.
Puyol headed over from a firm Andres Iniesta cross, wasting an excellent chance, while a raking cross-field pass from Xabi Alonso found Sergio Ramos in space, only for the Real Madrid full-back to drill his ambitious shot wide.
Germany did not have the opportunity to launch a counter attack until the 22nd minute, but that broke down after a miscommunication between Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski.
Loew's team looked increasingly threatening as the half wore on and had what initially appeared to be a strong penalty appeal in injury-time, after Ozil went down under a clumsy challenge from Ramos.
Ozil was certainly in a very threatening position after collecting a pass from Miroslav Klose and looked to be fouled, but replays suggested the initial contact had been made outside the area.
The start of the second half was a repeat of the first in that Spain passed and probed - but this time they started to seriously threaten Neuer's goal.
Alonso twice shot wide from distance, as did Villa with a low effort he tried to curl across goal, but the impressive Pedro did force a sharp save from Neuer.
Germany were dropping ever deeper and would have fallen behind but for two near misses. The first saw Villa come within inches of converting a low Iniesta cross, while Ramos was likewise agonisingly close to converting from Alonso's angled pass.
Loew brought on Marcell Jansen and Toni Kroos for Jerome Boateng and Trochowski as he tried to change the game in his team's favour.
And Kroos forced a save after a deep cross from Podolski, but shortly afterwards Puyol struck and Spain were able to close out the match to seal their place in the final and ensure that the World Cup will have a first-time winner in 2010.
The Euro 2008 champions, who defeated Germany 1-0 in the final of that competition, should have scored a second after striking with the sort of counter-attack that had been a trademark of their opponents' play in this competition, but Pedro failed to pick out a completely unmarked Fernando Torres.
Germany had invited pressure by adopting an increasingly deep defensive line as the match wore on - and may regret not taking the game to their opponents more while it remained goalless.
Joachim Loew's team scored four against both England and Argentina in their previous games and had illuminated the competition with their bold play.
But they had few opportunities to strike on the counter against Spain and so Germany taste defeat at the semi-final stage for the second successive World Cup.
Spain coach Del Bosque chose Wednesday's tie to drop the out-of-form Torres, drafting in Barcelona's lively young forward Pedro and deploying David Villa as a lone striker.
And while Del Bosque's team certainly looked comfortable as they worked the ball around midfield, Germany showed excellent shape and discipline, and were rarely dragged out of position.
Spain did occasionally pick holes in the German defensive structure, with Pedro playing in Villa only for keeper Manuel Neuer to deny him after only five minutes.
Puyol headed over from a firm Andres Iniesta cross, wasting an excellent chance, while a raking cross-field pass from Xabi Alonso found Sergio Ramos in space, only for the Real Madrid full-back to drill his ambitious shot wide.
Germany did not have the opportunity to launch a counter attack until the 22nd minute, but that broke down after a miscommunication between Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski.
Loew's team looked increasingly threatening as the half wore on and had what initially appeared to be a strong penalty appeal in injury-time, after Ozil went down under a clumsy challenge from Ramos.
Ozil was certainly in a very threatening position after collecting a pass from Miroslav Klose and looked to be fouled, but replays suggested the initial contact had been made outside the area.
The start of the second half was a repeat of the first in that Spain passed and probed - but this time they started to seriously threaten Neuer's goal.
Alonso twice shot wide from distance, as did Villa with a low effort he tried to curl across goal, but the impressive Pedro did force a sharp save from Neuer.
Germany were dropping ever deeper and would have fallen behind but for two near misses. The first saw Villa come within inches of converting a low Iniesta cross, while Ramos was likewise agonisingly close to converting from Alonso's angled pass.
Loew brought on Marcell Jansen and Toni Kroos for Jerome Boateng and Trochowski as he tried to change the game in his team's favour.
And Kroos forced a save after a deep cross from Podolski, but shortly afterwards Puyol struck and Spain were able to close out the match to seal their place in the final and ensure that the World Cup will have a first-time winner in 2010.
Germany
|
0-1 |
|
FT |
| (HT 0-0) | Puyol, 73 | ||
Team |
|||
Germany
|
Spain
|
||
Substitutes:
| Substitutes:
| ||
| |||
SpainMonday, July 5, 2010
Germany rampage, butcher Argentina 4-0
2:05 PM
Inspired by Bastian Schweinsteiger and two-goal hero Miroslav Klose, Joachim Loew's side scored four times for the third game at this tournament in what was a devastating attacking display.
Klose found the net only three times in the Bundesliga all season in a miserable campaign for Bayern Munich but he has now beaten that tally at this tournament, as well as moving to within a goal of Ronaldo, who with 15 goals, is the all-time highest scorer at World Cup finals.
Klose found the net only three times in the Bundesliga all season in a miserable campaign for Bayern Munich but he has now beaten that tally at this tournament, as well as moving to within a goal of Ronaldo, who with 15 goals, is the all-time highest scorer at World Cup finals.
After Thomas Mueller's early header, Germany coped with everything Argentina could throw at them before finishing off Maradona's men with a lethal late burst.
Following Brazil's self-destruction against the Dutch on Friday, Germany became the latest European team to see off a highly fancied South American side, and they move into the last four looking in good shape to become world champions for the first time since 1990.
At times this win was reminiscent of the way Germany had ripped through England's backline in the second round a week ago, with Argentina caught out by their speed and incisiveness on the counter-attack as they chased the game.
The only cloud on Germany's horizon is that the impressive Mueller picked up a booking that means he will miss the last-four clash with Paraguay or Spain, but Loew still has much to savour from this match.
Mueller opened the scoring after only three minutes when Schweinsteiger swung in a free-kick from the left and he escaped the Argentina defence to beat Sergio Romero with a downward header that the keeper got a leg to but could not keep out.
Klose, who also won his 100th cap for Germany, should have made it 2-0 when Mueller broke into the area down the right and squared for him in front of goal. But he fired wastefully over, not that it appeared to matter much at that point.
With Lionel Messi finding it difficult to impose himself on the game thanks to the close attention of Schweinsteiger, Argentina's response was largely limited to shots from distance.
They did improve as half-time approached and Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain both forced Manuel Neuer into low saves, but Germany continued to threaten on the break.
Only after the interval did Argentina manage a spell of sustained pressure, and they threatened almost immediately when Di Maria let fly from outside the box and saw the ball fizz narrowly wide.
For a good 20 minutes, Maradona's men dominated possession and Carlos Tevez had a shot blocked superbly blocked by Per Mertesacker while Germany keeper Neuer was kept busy as shots peppered his goal.
But, after wave after wave of Argentina attacks had been frustrated, Loew's side hit back with a lethal sucker-punch to seal victory with two near-identical goals in quick succession.
First, Podolski burst into the box down the left and squared to give Klose the easiest of tap-ins to make it 2-0, with the striker walking the ball over the line.
Then, with Argentina still rocking, Schweinsteiger weaved his way down the same flank and crossed for Arne Freidrich to bundle the ball in at the near post.
The game was up for the South American side, and neither the jaded Messi on the pitch nor Maradona off it could lift them for any sort of belated response.
Fittingly, the final word went to Klose, who volleyed home Germany's fourth from Mesut Oezil's cross in the last minute - his 14th World Cup goal - after the imperious Schweinsteiger had brought the ball forward again.
Following Brazil's self-destruction against the Dutch on Friday, Germany became the latest European team to see off a highly fancied South American side, and they move into the last four looking in good shape to become world champions for the first time since 1990.
At times this win was reminiscent of the way Germany had ripped through England's backline in the second round a week ago, with Argentina caught out by their speed and incisiveness on the counter-attack as they chased the game.
The only cloud on Germany's horizon is that the impressive Mueller picked up a booking that means he will miss the last-four clash with Paraguay or Spain, but Loew still has much to savour from this match.
Mueller opened the scoring after only three minutes when Schweinsteiger swung in a free-kick from the left and he escaped the Argentina defence to beat Sergio Romero with a downward header that the keeper got a leg to but could not keep out.
Klose, who also won his 100th cap for Germany, should have made it 2-0 when Mueller broke into the area down the right and squared for him in front of goal. But he fired wastefully over, not that it appeared to matter much at that point.
With Lionel Messi finding it difficult to impose himself on the game thanks to the close attention of Schweinsteiger, Argentina's response was largely limited to shots from distance.
They did improve as half-time approached and Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain both forced Manuel Neuer into low saves, but Germany continued to threaten on the break.
Only after the interval did Argentina manage a spell of sustained pressure, and they threatened almost immediately when Di Maria let fly from outside the box and saw the ball fizz narrowly wide.
For a good 20 minutes, Maradona's men dominated possession and Carlos Tevez had a shot blocked superbly blocked by Per Mertesacker while Germany keeper Neuer was kept busy as shots peppered his goal.
But, after wave after wave of Argentina attacks had been frustrated, Loew's side hit back with a lethal sucker-punch to seal victory with two near-identical goals in quick succession.
First, Podolski burst into the box down the left and squared to give Klose the easiest of tap-ins to make it 2-0, with the striker walking the ball over the line.
Then, with Argentina still rocking, Schweinsteiger weaved his way down the same flank and crossed for Arne Freidrich to bundle the ball in at the near post.
The game was up for the South American side, and neither the jaded Messi on the pitch nor Maradona off it could lift them for any sort of belated response.
Fittingly, the final word went to Klose, who volleyed home Germany's fourth from Mesut Oezil's cross in the last minute - his 14th World Cup goal - after the imperious Schweinsteiger had brought the ball forward again.
Argentina
|
0-4 |
|
FT |
| (HT 0-1) | Muller, 3 Klose, 67, 89 Friedrich, 74 |
||
Team |
|||
Argentina
|
Germany
|
||
| Substitutes:
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| |||
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Controversy Accident in Match England versus Germany
7:42 PM
Germany's deserved win and convincing victory margin will be overshadowed forever in the minds of Fabio Capello and his squad by a moment they believe robbed them of the hope of reaching the last eight.
Matthew Upson had thrown England a lifeline just before half-time after a vastly superior Germany had taken a stranglehold on the game with goals from Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski.
Matthew Upson had thrown England a lifeline just before half-time after a vastly superior Germany had taken a stranglehold on the game with goals from Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski.
But moments after Upson's header, in a grim echo of Geoff Hurst's goal that helped England to victory over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, Frank Lampard's superb lofted finish landed feet over the line behind German keeper Manuel Neuer, an incident obvious to almost everyone inside the Free State Stadium.
Capello was leading the England celebrations in his technical area, only to be stunned as Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his officials waved play on.
England's players and coaching team, including David Beckham, led vehement protests as the teams went off at half-time, but all to no avail and Germany made the most of their reprieve.
The Germans will feel a measure of justice has been restored 44 years on, but this was of no consolation to the modern-day England as insult was added to injury by Joachim Loew's gifted young side.
Lampard struck the bar as England dominated the early stages of the second half, but stunning counter-attacks saw Thomas Mueller score twice in the space of three minutes midway through the second half to send Germany into the last eight.
England, with some justification, will bemoan their luck but nothing must disguise the manner in which they were outclassed by Germany in stages of this game and also what has been an ultimately bitterly disappointing World Cup campaign in South Africa.
The brief hope of revival offered by victory against Slovenia that saw England advance to the knockout phase was snuffed out emphatically here by their old World Cup adversaries as they suffered their heaviest defeat at a major championship.
England paid the price for sloppy defending that gifted Germany goals - with central defenders John Terry and Upson having their immobility exposed in embarrassing fashion.
Wayne Rooney will return home having had minimal impact on the World Cup, and Capello himself must examine how England can move forward after being handed this painful lesson by Germany.
Capello chose to keep faith with Upson - but the defender was the central figure in a moment of defending that was almost indescribably bad as Germany took the lead after 20 minutes.
Germany keeper Neuer's long clearance was routine, but both Upson and Terry were caught out of position, with the West Ham defender compounding his misjudgement by being brushed aside for Klose to stab home.
England keeper David James, who had earlier saved well from Mesut Ozil, prevented England from falling further behind with a crucial block from Klose as he raced clear, but it was only a temporary reprieve as Germany extended their lead 12 minutes later.
Again England were all at sea defensively, with Podolski left with time and space to score from an angle after Klose and Mueller carved them wide open.
England needed a swift response to at least have some hope of mounting a revival, and it came from Upson as he made amends for his earlier error. He beat the flailing Neuer to Steven Gerrard's cross to head into an unguarded net.
Then came the moment of huge controversy that will haunt England and Capello for years to come. Even from high in the stands at the Free State Stadium, it was clear Lampard's audacious chip had travelled well over the line behind Neuer, but as Capello celebrated, England were stunned to find play waved on.
Lampard's ill-luck continued as England made a purposeful start the second half. He fired in a free-kick from 25 yards, but it rebounded off the bar with the static Neuer beaten.
The danger was always that Germany would strike on the counter attack, and they did to deadly effect as Mueller reopened their two-goal advantage after 67 minutes.
From and England free-kick Gareth Barry lost possession on the edge of Germany's area, allowing them to sweep to the other end for Mueller to fire past James from Bastian Schweinsteiger's pass.
And it was all over three minutes later, with Barry at fault again. He failed to deal with a clearance near the touchline, letting in Ozil to provide Mueller with a simple finish.
England had nothing left to offer and their World Cup campaign ended with a whimper - although they will complain bitterly about the moment they will feel had a decisive effect on the outcome of the game.
Capello was leading the England celebrations in his technical area, only to be stunned as Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda and his officials waved play on.
England's players and coaching team, including David Beckham, led vehement protests as the teams went off at half-time, but all to no avail and Germany made the most of their reprieve.
The Germans will feel a measure of justice has been restored 44 years on, but this was of no consolation to the modern-day England as insult was added to injury by Joachim Loew's gifted young side.
Lampard struck the bar as England dominated the early stages of the second half, but stunning counter-attacks saw Thomas Mueller score twice in the space of three minutes midway through the second half to send Germany into the last eight.
England, with some justification, will bemoan their luck but nothing must disguise the manner in which they were outclassed by Germany in stages of this game and also what has been an ultimately bitterly disappointing World Cup campaign in South Africa.
The brief hope of revival offered by victory against Slovenia that saw England advance to the knockout phase was snuffed out emphatically here by their old World Cup adversaries as they suffered their heaviest defeat at a major championship.
England paid the price for sloppy defending that gifted Germany goals - with central defenders John Terry and Upson having their immobility exposed in embarrassing fashion.
Wayne Rooney will return home having had minimal impact on the World Cup, and Capello himself must examine how England can move forward after being handed this painful lesson by Germany.
Capello chose to keep faith with Upson - but the defender was the central figure in a moment of defending that was almost indescribably bad as Germany took the lead after 20 minutes.
Germany keeper Neuer's long clearance was routine, but both Upson and Terry were caught out of position, with the West Ham defender compounding his misjudgement by being brushed aside for Klose to stab home.
England keeper David James, who had earlier saved well from Mesut Ozil, prevented England from falling further behind with a crucial block from Klose as he raced clear, but it was only a temporary reprieve as Germany extended their lead 12 minutes later.
Again England were all at sea defensively, with Podolski left with time and space to score from an angle after Klose and Mueller carved them wide open.
England needed a swift response to at least have some hope of mounting a revival, and it came from Upson as he made amends for his earlier error. He beat the flailing Neuer to Steven Gerrard's cross to head into an unguarded net.
Then came the moment of huge controversy that will haunt England and Capello for years to come. Even from high in the stands at the Free State Stadium, it was clear Lampard's audacious chip had travelled well over the line behind Neuer, but as Capello celebrated, England were stunned to find play waved on.
Lampard's ill-luck continued as England made a purposeful start the second half. He fired in a free-kick from 25 yards, but it rebounded off the bar with the static Neuer beaten.
The danger was always that Germany would strike on the counter attack, and they did to deadly effect as Mueller reopened their two-goal advantage after 67 minutes.
From and England free-kick Gareth Barry lost possession on the edge of Germany's area, allowing them to sweep to the other end for Mueller to fire past James from Bastian Schweinsteiger's pass.
And it was all over three minutes later, with Barry at fault again. He failed to deal with a clearance near the touchline, letting in Ozil to provide Mueller with a simple finish.
England had nothing left to offer and their World Cup campaign ended with a whimper - although they will complain bitterly about the moment they will feel had a decisive effect on the outcome of the game.
Germany
|
4-1 |
|
FT |
| Klose, 20 Podolski, 32 Muller, 67, 70 |
(HT 2-1) | Upson, 37 | |
Team |
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Germany
|
England
|
||
| Substitutes:
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England
Mesut Ozil single goal, Germany Pass
3:10 PM
Ozil settled an entertaining affair in the second half with a wonderful, dipping volley from outside the box to ensure it would be the Germans who face Fabio Capello's men in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
In a game that swung from end-to-end, at breakneck speed at times, Ghana wasted some fine chances, but the African side go through as group runners-up, thanks to Australia's surprise victory over Serbia, and they will now face USA in Rustenburg on Saturday.
In a game that swung from end-to-end, at breakneck speed at times, Ghana wasted some fine chances, but the African side go through as group runners-up, thanks to Australia's surprise victory over Serbia, and they will now face USA in Rustenburg on Saturday.
Going into the game Ghana only needed a point to be sure of progressing, but they came up against a German team desperate to put their shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Serbia in their last match behind them.
Knowing a win would set up a clash with old rivals England, Germany played with great tempo and after Cacau shot at Richard Kingson, Lucas Podolski went close with a deflected volley that flew narrowly wide of the target.
But Ghana weathered the early storm and eventually asserted their own style on proceedings. They were content to let Germany have a lot of the ball and hit them on the break when they won it back and their pace soon began to cause problems.
Asamoah Gyan should have done better with a shot that was superbly blocked by the tireless Bastain Schweinsteiger before Kevin-Prince Boateng played in Gyan, only for the striker's touch to let him down at the crucial moment.
After Ozil rolled a tame shot at Kingson from the right-hand side of the Ghana box it was the Africans who twice went close again when Gyan's goal-bound header from a corner was cleared off the line by Philipp Lahm and then Boateng glanced across the face of goal from Andre Ayew's centre.
Germany knew raced out of the blocks after the interval, aware that Serbia and Australia were goalless at the break and a Serbia goal could send Germany out.
After Asamoah spurned a rare Ghana break into the Germany half by shooting at Manuel Neuer, Ozil produced his match-winning moment.
The gifted playmaker had endured a frustrating evening up to that point, but when the ball fell to him just outside the penalty area, he set himself up and then crashed a glorious left-footed effort past Kingson's fruitless dive.
Now Ghana had most to lose and they tried to hit back immediately as Prince Tagoe's goalbound header at the far post drew a superb block from Jerome Boateng - the German defender who was playing against his brother, Kevin, in a first for the World Cup.
Ghana continued to press and Gyan's backheel exquisitely set up Ayew only for Lahm to get in a last-ditch goal-saving challenge, and Germany eased through the closing stages without looking unduly troubled.
Even after the final whistle blew, there were some nervous moments for Ghana as they waited for the result from Nelspruit, but in the end they had done enough to secure Africa's first place in the next round.
Knowing a win would set up a clash with old rivals England, Germany played with great tempo and after Cacau shot at Richard Kingson, Lucas Podolski went close with a deflected volley that flew narrowly wide of the target.
But Ghana weathered the early storm and eventually asserted their own style on proceedings. They were content to let Germany have a lot of the ball and hit them on the break when they won it back and their pace soon began to cause problems.
Asamoah Gyan should have done better with a shot that was superbly blocked by the tireless Bastain Schweinsteiger before Kevin-Prince Boateng played in Gyan, only for the striker's touch to let him down at the crucial moment.
After Ozil rolled a tame shot at Kingson from the right-hand side of the Ghana box it was the Africans who twice went close again when Gyan's goal-bound header from a corner was cleared off the line by Philipp Lahm and then Boateng glanced across the face of goal from Andre Ayew's centre.
Germany knew raced out of the blocks after the interval, aware that Serbia and Australia were goalless at the break and a Serbia goal could send Germany out.
After Asamoah spurned a rare Ghana break into the Germany half by shooting at Manuel Neuer, Ozil produced his match-winning moment.
The gifted playmaker had endured a frustrating evening up to that point, but when the ball fell to him just outside the penalty area, he set himself up and then crashed a glorious left-footed effort past Kingson's fruitless dive.
Now Ghana had most to lose and they tried to hit back immediately as Prince Tagoe's goalbound header at the far post drew a superb block from Jerome Boateng - the German defender who was playing against his brother, Kevin, in a first for the World Cup.
Ghana continued to press and Gyan's backheel exquisitely set up Ayew only for Lahm to get in a last-ditch goal-saving challenge, and Germany eased through the closing stages without looking unduly troubled.
Even after the final whistle blew, there were some nervous moments for Ghana as they waited for the result from Nelspruit, but in the end they had done enough to secure Africa's first place in the next round.
Ghana
|
0-1 |
|
FT |
| (HT 0-0) | Ozil, 60 | ||
Team |
|||
Ghana
|
Germany
|
||
| Substitutes:
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Friday, June 18, 2010
Milan Jovanovic hero, Klose received the Red card, penalty fails Podolski, Germany Conquered Serbian
9:15 PM
Serbia brought 10-man Germany crashing back down to earth with a narrow win in Port Elizabeth that blows qualification from Group D wide open.
An opening-game rout of Australia had German fans and critics predicting a run deep into the World Cup tournament, with national newspaper Bild declaring: "We're going to blow you all away".
But Serbia were always likely to prove a different proposition to a weak Australia side forced to play more than half an hour a man down, and after frontman Miroslav Klose had been harshly dismissed for two bookings in the first half, Germany failed to rally sufficiently to force an equaliser against Radomir Antic's stubborn side.
Liverpool-bound Milan Jovanovic proved the match-winner with a 35th-minute volley, but in truth the result was as much down to the Germans' poor finishing - not least from Lukas Podolski who missed a penalty amid a hatful of chances.And referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco of Spain played no small part in influencing proceedings with a series of baffling decisions and yellow cards.
It means Germany, Serbia and Ghana all stand on three points ahead of the Africans' second group match against the Aussies on Saturday.
Germany, though, will feel aggrieved at a result that almost entirely centred around Klose's dismissal.
For the first half hour before that, in the face of a Serbian defence far more disciplined than the Australian backline had been on Sunday, Germany were patient and measured in attack, Podolski flashing a volley narrowly wide and playmaker Mesut Ozil again impressing.
But just a minute after referee Mallenco brandished a second yellow card to Klose - both for innocuous trips - Serbia grabbed what proved to be their winner.
The lively Milan Krasic produced a fine cross from the right that was nodded down by Birmingham City new-boy Nikola Zigic and slammed home from close range by Jovanovic.
Thereafter, with Serbia dropping deeper and deeper despite their numerical advantage, Germany controlled possession and had a series of chances to level.
Sami Khedira slammed a vicious shot against the bar 16 yards out, while Podolski wasted two glorious passes from Ozil when he clipped the first wide and the second into the side-netting.
Neither chance was as good as the next, though, when he saw his tame penalty saved by Serbia keeper Vladimir Stojkovic after Nemanja Vidic's inexplicable handball in the box.
It was only Germany's second penalty miss in a World Cup outside of a shoot-out, their first by Uli Hoeness in 1974, and it proved crucial.
Playing on the counter, Serbia - much improved from a display against Ghana that did the talent in their side no justice - twice hit the woodwork, with Jankovic curling left-footed on to the foot of Manuel Neuer's post and Zigic heading on to the bar from another Krasic cross.
Unlike Germany, though, they were not made to rue their profligacy, seeing out a win that gives Antic's side a real chance of reaching the second round.
As for Joachim Loew's side, their first World Cup group-stage defeat since 1986 means only a victory over Ghana next Wednesday will guarantee them a place in the last 16.
Germany |
0-1 |
|
FT |
| (HT 0-1) | Jovanovic, 38 | ||
|
|
|||
Team |
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Greece
|
Nigeria
|
||
|
| |||
Substitutes: | |||
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Serbia
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