Australia Crashes to Defeat Against the Might of Germany
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Australia has begun its 2010 World Cup campaign in disastrous fashion going down 4-0 to Germany in Durban.
Two goals in either half killed off an Australia side who couldn’t match Germany’s slick ball movement and quality finishing in front of goal.
What’s worse for the Socceroos is that they will be without Tim Cahill for its next match against Ghana after the Australian talisman received a straight red card for cutting down Bastian Schweinsteiger during the second-half.
While the Socceroos started the match brightly, they only created one genuine chance in the first half when Cahill’s headed effort towards goal was met by Richard Garcia; yet, German captain, Phillip Lahm was on hand to block Garcia’s left-footed volley away from danger.
After that, the warning signs began to spring up for Australia, and it was lucky not to concede in the seventh minute to Miroslav Klose who shot straight at Australian goalkeeper, Mark Schwarzer.
However, within minutes, a diagonal ball from German midfielder, Mesut Oezil, allowed Thomas Mueller to stride past the Australian defence; and his resultant pull-back across goal was met by a Lukas Podolski power-drive that Schwarzer was unable to handle.
With the Australians rattled, Germany could smell blood and attacked in numbers from either flank creating several more opportunities in the first-half.
Australia, who were presenting far too much space for its opposition midfield, would’ve been bewildered to see Klose shoot high and wide from an excellent goal-scoring position after intelligent build-up play by Podolski was wasted by the German marksman.
Yet, Klose atoned for his dreadful error seconds later when Lahm, again in acres of space, delivered a centimetre-perfect cross, which left Klose with the simple task of heading into an unguarded net.
Schwarzer, who was arguably at fault for misjudging the Lahm cross, was now under siege; and were it not for the timely last-ditch intervention of Lucas Neill, Germany would’ve been three goals to the good before half-time when Oezil lofted the ball over Schwarzer for Neill to divert it away from crossing the line.
Australia needed to demonstrate a more competitive edge following the half-time interval, but its aggression was ill-directed.
Firstly, Neill bundled down Klose, with the Australian captain escaping any caution; but then Cahill upended the influential Schweinsteiger, and all he succeeded in was earning himself a straight red card.
The Australians, aggrieved by the questionable straight sending off of Cahill, would’ve felt further frustrated by a clear handball inside the box by Per Mertesacker, which wasn’t spotted by Mexican referee, Marco Rodriguez.
With the Socceroos now in damage control, Germany piled on the pressure, and it was only a matter of time before Australia buckled under it.
Firstly, Podolski fed Mueller, who sliced through the backbone of the Australian defence before being allowed to stop, prop, shoot and observe, as his strike cannoned off the inside of the post for Germany’s third.
Given the Socceroos were now despondent, the final nail in the coffin came moments later when Holger Badstuber’s accurate ball down the left flank found the inspired Oezil who slid the ball laterally for German substitute, Cacau, to sidefoot home from close-range after 70 minutes.
The remainder of the match was rather anti-climatic, with Australia searching for a consolation that just wouldn’t come.
The Socceroos will take comfort in the fact that they still have hope of progressing to the Round of 16; however, they will need to win their final two group stage matches against Ghana and Serbia to give themselves any chance of avoiding World Cup oblivion.
As for Germany, a victory in its next game against Serbia should ensure the European powerhouse finishes on top of Group D and progresses directly to the knockout phase with the view of winning its first World Cup for 20 years.
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Really, truly, realistically, honestly, did any one expect a much different result? Methinks there are too many nations in the world cup, so it is easier to win the world cup than the European cup.
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