SB Nation World Cup World Cup 2010 -- Group D
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Three German starters met with injury prior to the World Cup. Unfortunately for Australia, a new fleet of German stars is ready to step forward.
Brazilian-born striker Cacau had just come off the bench for Miroslav Klose when he redirected home Germany’s fourth goal, putting the Germans up 4-0 in the 70th minute.
Mesut Ozil squared a ball from the left side of the area, allowing Cacau to redirect a ball from eight yards out past a moving Mark Schwarzer.
Australia, down a man, has been outshot 9-1, with Germany holding 56 percent of the possession.
Mario Gomez has come off the bench to replace Mesut Ozil.
Germany went up 3-0 on Australia in the 68th minute in Durban, with right wing Thomas Muller finishing off Mark Schwarzer’s right post from 15 yards out.
Muller, who assigned on the first goal, stopped and turned on a pass near the penalty spot, allowed right back Scott Chipperfield to overrun the play. Hit ball to the corner scraped the left post before going in, giving the Germans a 3-0 lead.
Australia is on ten men after having Tim Cahill sent off.
Cacau has come on for Miroslav Klose.
Tim Cahill’s World Cup may be over.
Australia’s best play was given a straight red card in the 56th minute on Sunday, the Socceroos attacker sliding through Bastian Schweinsteiger from behind. Referee Julian Rodriguez Santiago brandished the red card, putting Australia on ten men while down 2-0.
Cahill will be suspected for Australia’s match against Ghana and received an additional two game suspension, often commensurate for this type of straight red card offense.
Cahill's red was the fourth card of the tournament (in eight matches) and the third of the day.
Germany has had an easy time of it through 45 minutes in Durban, with goals from Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose not only giving the favorites a 2-0, halftime lead but also assuaging fears that poor Bundesliga form would carry into the World Cup for two of Germany’s starting attackers.
Podolski and Klose combined for only five league goals in Germany this season, but with an eighth minute finish through Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, Podolski gave the first hint that the duo that combined for eight goals in Germany 2006 will be formidable in South Africa.
The opening goal’s movement started with a ball played through the line for Thomas Muller to the right of goal. The attacker cut a pass back through the box, finding Podolski to the goal’s right, for the opportunity. Podolski’s left-footed shot hit Schwarzer’s right hand flush but had enough on it to continue into the side netting at the near post, making it 1-0.
Australia, who had set out with a very conservative team that omitted Joshua Kennedy and Mark Bresciano, persisted with their approach of providing little pressure in favor of maintaining as much of their shape as possible. This led to a half dominated by Germany, with midfielder Mesut Ozil (amongst others) easily moving the ball through the Australian defense.
The Socceroos’ unwillingness to apply pressure to the ball led to the second goal, with Philipp Lahm given time to float a cross toward the spot from the right flank. Klose beat an on-coming Schwarzer to the ball and headed the second goal into an open net.
Klose was the leading scorer at Germany 2006 with five goals. His goal against Australia was his 49th goal for Germany.
Miroslav Klose headed home a cross from Philip Lahm in the 27th minute to put Germany up 2-0 over Australia in the first half.
From the right flank about thirty-five yards out, Lahm whipped a cross to the middle of the area. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer came off his line to try an beat Klose to the ball, but the late-arriving `keeper could only pass by the German striker as the ball was redirected into the net.
A promising start from Australia was wiped-out in one movement when Lukas Podolski beat Mark Schwarzer from the left of goal to put Germany up 1-0 in Durban.
The movement started with a through ball from Mesut Ozil to Thomas Muller, who ran onto the ball to the right of goal and cut a pass back across the area. The ball found Podolski, who power a shot at Schwarzer, who got a right hand on the ball only to see the shot continue into the net.
After nine minutes Germany was up 1-0, seemingly throwing Pim Verbeek’s plans into chaos.
Verbeek started a very conservative lineup, keeping his striker Joshua Kennedy on the bench and playing a team which, with Tim Cahill as the lone forward, looked set-up to try and hold-out for counter-attacks. Mark Bresciano also missed out on the start, with Blackburn’s Brett Emerton getting the nod.
Now Verbeek has two of his more talented players in attack on the bench, with the Socceroos down after eight minutes.
Germany is missing their captain Michael Ballack (which I'm obliged to mention), but unless you're a huge fan of Michael Ballack, Chelsea, or Matt Damon, you won't notice. At least, it is unlikely to have an impact on their match with Australia. Nor will defender Heiko Westermann's absence or the injury to number one goalkeeper René Adler. Even against a quality opponent like Australia, Germany has the depth to withstand all of these absences. Stuttgart's Sami Khedira will step-in for Ballack and play along side Bastian Schweinsteiger in the central midfield. At the club level, Khedira has been as good as Ballack. Ballack, however is a one goal every two games player on the international level. It seems unlikely that Khedira can play to that level, but given the talent surrounding him, Khedira need not be Michael Ballack to keep the Germans on course.
Courtesy of SB Nation Soccer, Jeremiah Oshan and Sounder at Heart, Team Data Cards have been prepared to give you all the information you need to know on the country, qualifying route, roster, and formation.
Here is Germany's (PDF), Australia's (PDF) as well as the post with cards for all 32-teams, prepared by Jeremiah.
Bayern Munich's Holger Badstuber will step into central defense, partnering Werder Bremen's Per Mertesacker. Though the 22-year-old spent last season at left back at his club, he is a natural central defender and will have teammate (and new German captain) Philipp Lahm to his left. Whether a year at left back will leave him rusty upon moving to a central role will have to be seen. In goal, Schalke's Michael Neuer, who many called to be the number one over Adler before Joachim Low decided on the Bayer Leverkusen-man, has had success at the youth levels with German teams which have been the most successful in Europe, during which time as this new generation of player - which includes Khedira, Badstuber, Mesut Ozil, and Jerome Boateng - becomes set to revitalize the national team. That revitalization starts with the third match on Sunday, when Germany takes an Australia team which, though many view them as the fourth of four in Group D. That's more a reflection of the group than Australia's quality. Still, the Socceroos' limits make Germany's task straight forward. Though Germany will have an advantage in central midfield, Australia needs to be contained on the flanks, where there 4-5-1-morph-4-4-2 formation could feature four players whose main contributions will be floating crosses for target man Joshua Kennedy and supporting striker Tim Cahill. If Germany does not disrupt those crosses - which will include Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller pressuring his in their half on fullbacks Scott Chipperfield and Luke Wilshire - Australia could have an upset in them. However, it's unlikely Germany will both neglect to do this and not develop another measure to deal with the Aussies. And while this is happening, a sharp German attack will have its chances to exploit the holes around lumbering Lucas Neill and Craig Moore. Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is capable of stealing a match, but some thefts are easier than others.
Germany Posts Most Lopsided Win Of Young World Cup 2010, Beats Australia 4-0
The match may have been decided after eight minutes. That’s when Lukas Podolski not only scored Germany’s opening goal, but he forced an Australia team set-up to play conservatively to start chasing the match.
Socceroos’ coach Pim Verbeek benched striker Joshua Kennedy and winger Mark Breciano, moved Tim Cahill to striker, and set-out his team to play deeper and tighter than then usual. But when Podolski’s left-footed shot went off Mark Schwarzer’s hand and into the net in the eighth minute, Verbeek’s lineup choices left the Socceroos ill-equipped to get back into the match.
That task became more difficult in the 27th minute when Miroslav Klose headed in the second goal, finishing a cross from an uncontested Philip Lahm to beat Schwarzer, who failed to get to the cross when coming off his line. Germany would take the 2-0 lead into half, with Australis failing to challenge the German net from the eighth minute on.
Shortly after half, Australia incurred a blow that could define their tournament when Tim Cahill was shown a straight red card. Tracking back to try an regain possession after an Australi turnover, Cahill went through Bastian Schweinsteiger from behind, quickly seeing red from referee Julian Rodriguez Santiago.
Cahill will be suspended for Australia’s next match with Ghana and, in all likelihood, will likely miss two more matches for seeing the straight red for what was judged a violent tackle.
Shortly after, Germany went up 3-0 through Thomas Muller, with Mesut Ozil finding substitute Cacau for a fourth.
The win put Germany on top of Group D, even on points with Ghana ahead of their second match, against Serbia. Australia will face the Black Stars.
Jun 13 4:32p by Richard Farley - 0 comments