Germany beat Poland and top Group A

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Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Germany beat Poland with an injury time winner from Oliver Neuville to send the host nation almost certainly into the knock-out round of the World Cup, Wednesday.

Poland, who lost their first round match, had hoped for a draw. But a sending off, an incessant German offensive, a couple of strikes against the woodwork and then an injury time winner defeated them. The German fans then cheered the six points that put the team top of Group A.

The Polish tackled furiously but in the 75th minute had the extra handicap of having Radoslaw Sobolewski sent off. He tugged Miroslav Klose from behind earning a second yellow card from the Spanish referee.

It took until two minutes into injury time for the German team to score the decider. This was not for lack of chances. In the first half Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski had all failed to get shots on target.

Klose might have had three goals in the second half; he missed a cross, had a shot saved and, in the 90th minute, hit the crossbar with a header. Michael Ballack smacked the rebound onto the same piece of Artur Boruc's woodwork.

If playing 10-men helped Klinsmann's team so did his substitutions. He removed the young Germans Poldolski and Schweinsteiger. They had appeared inhibited by the aggressive Polish defence.

Of the three substitutions made, two would combine to score the winner: the experienced Neuville and young sprinter David Odonkor. On 92 minutes Ondonkor was sent down the right wing. He crossed and the ball was met on the bounce by Neuville in front of Artur Boruc.

Pawel Janas's side did not have many chances. On 27 minutes Ireneusz Jelen had an opportunity to set up a goal but chose to shoot. In the second half his long range shot did not trouble Jens Lehmann. Poland now need Costa Rica to take three points from Ecuador on June 15, to have any chance to progress in this competition.

The German team were always dominant in and around the Polish penalty area. They had 58 per cent of ball possession, three times as many shots on goal and six more corner kicks as the Poland side. One reason why was left-back Philipp Lahm; this right-footed player was Fifa's man of the match.

His brilliant movement and passes created chances for the German strikers. Lahm got forward even more in the second half after Sobolewski's sending off; and when Odonkor was brought on to run down the other wing it seemed only a matter of time before one of the combination cracked the Polish defence.