Minggu, 22 Juni 2014

Miroslav Klose equalled Brazilian legend Ronaldo's record of 15 World Cup goals with the equaliser for Germany in their 2-2 Group G draw with Ghana in Fortaleza on Saturday.
Mario Goetze had given Germany the lead before goals from Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan turned the game on its head and threatened to cause a major upset for the Black Stars.
But Klose had the last laugh with a poacher's goal a yard out 19 minutes from time.


Lead lasted only three minutes
Having at times bossed the first half, and only been denied by two fantastic Manuel Neuer saves from Sulley Muntari and Christian Atsu, Ghana switched off at the start of the second.
Thomas Mueller picked out Goetze running into the box and the Bayern Munich midfielder stopped unconvincingly to head goalwards with the ball going straight down onto his knee before rebounding past Ghana goalkeeper Abdul-Fatawu Dauda, who like his two centre-backs had been ball-watching.
The lead lasted only three minutes before Harrison Afful crossed into the box and Ayew, on his 50th appearance for the Black Stars, climbed above Shkodran Mustafi and the static Per Mertesacker, playing his 100th game for Germany, to flick a header beyond Neuer.


Gyan smash ball past Neuer
Nine minutes later things got even better for Ghana as Muntari dispossessed Germany captain Philipp Lahm in midfield and slid the ball through to Black Stars captain Gyan to smash the ball past Neuer.
Ghana were running riot and Germany hanging on by their fingernails but an inspired substitution by coach Joachim Loew brought Klose into the fray to stab home from a yard out after Benedikt Hoewedes flicked on Toni Kroos's corner.

Source : dfb.de

Rabu, 18 Juni 2014

Müller hat-trick as Germany rout Portugal

Striker Thomas Müller scored a hat-trick as Germany opened their World Cup campaign on Monday with a 4-0 rout of 10-man Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo enduring an afternoon to forget.


A decisive first-half saw Germany race into 3-0 lead as Müller converted a penalty, then fired home their third on the stroke of half-time after a Mats Hummels header had also hit the target. Portugal played almost an hour with a man down after defender Pepe was red-carded for aiming a head-butt at Müller.

Germany continue their domination of Portugal by adding Brazil 2014 to their list of recent wins over Ronaldo's side which includes the 2006 World Cup, plus the 2008 and 2012 European championships. Having declared himself '100 percent fit', Ronaldo lived up to his word with an early shot, then put Hugo Almeida into space, but the Germans were soon on top.

Sami Khedira fired wide after a loose pass from Rui Patricio with eight minutes gone at the start of a busy period for the Portugal goalkeeper. When left-back Joao Pereira tugged back on Mario Götze's shirt, Serbian referee Milorad Mazic pointed straight to the spot.

Müller, who scored five goals in the 2010 finals to claim both the Golden Boot and best young player award, planted his penalty in the bottom corner to open the German's account on 12 minutes. Götze then crashed a shot just wide of the post, just before the Germans went 2-0 up.

Toni Kroos swung in a corner and centre-back Hummels out-jumped Pepe to plant his header past Patricio on 32 minutes. Portugal's fortunes went from bad to worse on 37 minutes when the standing Pepe aimed a head-butt at the seated Müller after an altercation to earn a straight red card.

Müller had his revenge on the stroke of half-time when he chested down Kroos' long pass and smashed his shot past Patricio as it finished 3-0 at the interval. After the break, Portugal kept chipping away at the solid German defence, which had been a concern coming into Brazil.

 
But Portugal's fortunes were summed up when one of Ronaldo's trademark free-kicks cannoned off the German wall leaving the world's best player with his head in his hands. Having already lost injured midfielders Marco Reus and Lars Bender before arriving in Brazil, there were worrying scenes for Germany coach Joachim Löw when Hummels had to be helped off on 73 minutes. Sampdoria's 22-year-old Shkodran Mustafi came on to win only his second cap.

Müller wrapped up his hat-trick on 78 minutes in scrappy fashion in a goal-mouth scramble after Patricio had parried a shot.

Source : dfb.de

;;