Germany hit three and finish third
Germany hit three and finish third
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Saturday, 08, Jul 2006 10:25
A second-half brace from Bastian Schweinsteiger and an own-goal from midfielder Petit gave Germany a fully-deserved third-placed finish in Stuttgart, while a late goal from Nuno Gomes will offer some consolation to Portugal.
Schweinsteiger's two long-range strikes rounded off an ultimately successful tournament for the hosts, while the match also saw the end of the international careers of undoubted greats Oliver Kahn and Luis Figo.
Despite earlier protestations from coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, Portugal started the game brightly, but were lucky to survive an early penalty shout when the ball appeared to hit Everton left-back Nuno Valente on the arm, but the Japanese referee waved away German protests.
But England's conquerors still looked the more likely to score, even with their misfiring striker Pauleta ploughing a lonely furrow up front.
The Paris player was put clean through by Simao on 15 minutes, but the man who outscored Eusebio reaffirmed his reputation as struggling in major tournaments when he scuffed his shot straight at Kahn, who had taken up rival Jens Lehmann's kind offer of an international send-off.
As is usually the case with third-placed play-offs, the game was struggling to get out of third gear, a situation made worse by the stop start gameplay that the referee was forced to instigate in a first half punctuated by niggling fouls.
Seemingly Real Madrid-bound winger Cristiano Ronaldo continued to be vilified by fans of all nations for his role in Wayne Rooney's sending off, with his every touch booed and every fall cheered.
At the half-time the whistle the score remained 0-0, and in all honesty it looked like remaining that way for the full 90 minutes, but the deadlock was broken within ten minutes of the restart.
Schweinsteiger scored his first goal of the tournament when he cut in from his nominal left-wing position to fire past Ricardo on his right-foot, but in truth the Benfica keeper made a hash of his attempted save, underlying his status as a 12-yards out specialist.
Shortly afterwards Schweinsteiger was to turn provider, although it was not one of his own players he would set up. A free-kick into the box from a similar position to where his goal had come deflected off the despairing Petit's foot to give the hosts a 2-0 lead.
But just as Portugal appeared to be limping home, their Brazilian-born playmaker Deco forced Kahn into a smart save.
Schweinsteiger was not to be undone, however, and he underlined his potential with a strike that bettered his first goal in terms of power and accuracy, arrowing the ball into the inside of the side netting, with Ricardo this time given no chance.
By this time Germany's main goal threats Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose had both been substituted, with Klose's five-goal haul seemingly enough to secure himself the golden boot, notwithstanding a brace from Thierry Henry or hatrick by Luca Toni in tomorrow evening's final.
While tonight was all about restoring German pride and bidding farewell to perhaps their greatest ever goalkeeper in Kahn, Portugal's inspirational captain Figo, surprisingly dropped from the starting line-up, also made his international swansong when he came on after 77 minutes.
The Inter Milan winger almost instantly proved his class, setting up fellow substitute Nuno Gomes with a chance that he simply could not miss with a glorious right-wing cross. The striker duly obliged as he headed past Kahn, equalling Pauleta's goalscoring exploits in this World Cup within seven minutes of coming on.
The final whistle was greeted with some unsurprisingly muted celebrations, but for Germany the attention now turns to securing Jurgen Klinsmann to a long-term contract.
Klinsmann has achieved miracles in turning an unfancied, inexperienced German outfit into a side that ultimately was disappointed to not emerge as world champions.
The question for Portugal is to somehow recover from the retirement of the final member of their golden generation, with a lack of goals costing the Portuguese a shot at the title.