Germany vs. Poland
The second round of group matches starts with a very interesting European encounter. The Germans looked brilliant the other day, opening up with a 4-2 stuffing of Costa Rica, with some wobbliness at the the back. Poland on the other hand have everything to prove after losing miserably to Ecuador. Could they be the first to book their flights home? Boil up some sauerbraten, stick on the lederhosen and join me to find out.
posted by gatorbob @ 2:39 PM
70 Comments:
Here are tonight's sides:
1. Jens Lehmann
3. Arne Friedrich
17. Per Mertesacker
21. Christoph Metzelder
16. Philip Lahm
7. Bastian Schweinsteiger
13. Michael Ballack
8. Torsten Frings
19. Bernd Schneider
20. Lukas Podolski
11. Miroslav Klose
POLAND
1. Artur Boruc
19. Bartosz Bosacki
4. Marcin Baszczynski
6. Jacek Bak
14. Michal Zewlakow
7. Radoslaw Sobolewski
8. Jacek Krzynowek
15. Ebi Smolarek
16. Arkadiusz Radomski
9. Maciej Zurawski
21. Ireneusz Jelen
Good afternoon. I am work again.
ESPN2 are there for the teams coming out. Will they stay for the anthems.
COME ON POLAND
Just heard them say they are staying for anthems. Have they had complaints and listened?
The big story tonight is the return of German captain Michael Ballack (or as ESPN's Dave Remsine continues to call him Michael BOllock - nice one). The German midfield looked pretty tasty without him the other day, so we'll see how they do with their inspirational leader back.
Hey Dave: Actually during the workweek they've been staying with the games throughout the day, commenting during the hour's space. Not all of the commentary has been useful - a lot of licking of U.S. wounds after the Czech debacle - but it's been something. They've gotten teams out of the tunnel in the last two matches all week long. Not bad.
wow, they are staying with the game. Showing the line up before the game starts. STUNNING!!!
I didn't know that
Klose is one to watch today. He's got two already and could be an outside candidate for Golden Boot. He got three last time as well, so he could get close to the top scorers of all time with a decent return this year. Can you name the all-time Top Scorer in WC play?
Gerd Mueller.
I can't believe that you haven't commented on the graphic yet, Dave. Spot the balls, eh? Pwahhhh! Oh please yourself.
Nice one, Dave. Der Bomber. Any idea how many goals?
14
Just Fontaine has the most in one Tourny. 13
Should've been a free kick for Klose. And again. He's in the wars already. A marked man for sure.
Yellow card for Krzynowek.
Yes, then Big Ron has twelve. Could overtake both Fontaine and Muller, but not on yesterday's evidence. He's obvious been at the pies.
So, Dave, are you in the classroom forcing der kinder to watch the WC?
Klose goes...well, close from a good ball from Bollock, I mean Ballack. Good save from the keeper. A bit niggly at the start but it's starting to open up a bit.
they have left. I will make them watch England tomorrow
Well played, mate. School those kiddies on the Beautiful Game. An "F" for anyone who supports Trinidad, eh?
Dave O'Brien's really irritating with these useless stats all the time. I'm sure that baseball fans appreciate it but it's getting on my wick. He just mentioned Poland's record in relation to games that end up 1-0. I ask you!
couldn't agree with you more.
I couldn't watch much of today's other games. Was the Tunisia game with an English commentator?
I can't help tittering every time Dave O'B mentions the German captain. It's all:
Great pass from Bollock; Bollock sliding in; Bollock's showing for the ball.
Bloody brilliant!
OOOOH, nearly there for Klose's third of the tournament. He looks likely today. 'Cello reckons he won't have many more chances - what a prat. They'll have buckets full today. Here they come again.
Nah, the Saudi-Tunisia game had the horrible pairing of Glenn Johnson and the abysmal Shep Messing. That man must be stopped before he ruins the whole competition. Thankfully they're putting those two on all the duff matches. I expect they'll show up again for the Costa Rica-Ecuador match tomorrow morning.
Poland look a bit tighter tonight than against Ecuador. They must've been caught out the other day. Still, the Germans are completely controling affairs, with Bollock in the middle of everything.
Free kick to the Poles...
Straight into the wall. I'd love to have England get these mugs, wouldn't you?
End to end stuff now. Really good, tense match with everything going into it. I can't remember a more forward looking German side than this one. Heil Jurgen!
It was the morning game that had the limey
Yeah, it was Harkesy and Adrian Healey on the Spanish game. Good one and the Spanish looked very tasty.
I like Schweinsteiger but I have to say that his delivery has been poor today. Every ball from him is either driven into the ground or well overhit.
Gooner Steve's been laying it on about the BBC coverage with Motty, Hansen and Martin O'Neill. I'm green with envy.
BTW, I heard today that ManYoo have paid 15 million for Michael Carrick. What do you reckon - good deal or waste of cash?
Nice turn and shot from Lucas Podolski. Reminds me of a certain center forward for LHS....
i know they offered 10. I didn't read it on the Beeb website. I will take a look.
I don't really rate him
not on the beeb. must be a rumor
Free kick for Germany after a foul on Klose...
Comes to nothing.
It would be a lot to play for a guy who can't make the first eleven for England.
OOOHHHH, a nice move ends with Podolski setting up Schweinsteiger, but he puts it in Row Z.
Another corner for Germany after some tricky stepovers from Podolski....
Still the service isn't coming.
dodging keeping by the big kraut
the crossing has been useless.
By the way, I am doing work between the footer and the blogg.
WHAT A CHANCE!!! Should have burried that
OOOOHHHHH, how did Podolski miss that one!
Half-time: 0-0; obviously a much tighter match than the opener with Costa Rica. Poland have done what they came to do. They must be looking for a draw and then a win against Costa Rica. And hope for some kind of result against Ecuador tomorrow morning.
Hiya,
i'm on now. shep messing again? we've got mick-nutter on the bus-mccarthy tonight. i swear he is completely unintelligble.
bob's spot on, not only with the picture-fwoah! but also noting that pig-climber is not nearly as effective tonight as he was against the ticos.
klose's come close, podolski's a cert to wear the loser pinnie for that miss at the next practise.
i'm surprised that lahm hasn't been able to get forward to support with his crosses. obviously, dropping the big baldy defender for tonights more hirsuite candidate has kept him defending deep.
do you think the inclusion of Bollock-classic! has made pig climber less effective? I wonder about that.
Carrick is the future so £10mil doesn't seem out of order.
You may be right, Gooner. The two midfielders do like to play centrally. Sort of a Lampard/Gerrard conundrum. You want to play both, but...
The idiots back here reckon he's not fit, but I don't see any evidence of that. Germans really should be one or two up.
it's getting better and better!
i dropped by sainsburys to get a few beers in and found a scrumptious brew. innis and gunn's edinburgh ale aged in oak scotch barrels. it's in a clear glass bottle so it won't travel unfortunately. and young's st. george ale for tomorrow of course.
What???
i just heard that the ref for tomorrow's england game is japanese. is that confirmed?
Sounds good; I'll be wearing the new England shirt that KC picked up for me for tomorrow's festivities. And the scarf naturally.
Bit early for drinking, but....
There's a pub downtown I may investigate this weekend. Not for the England match, though. I've gotten to the point where I only like to watch the lads in a darkened room on my own or with close relations. I've had enough of Irish pubs where the bog trotters yell out for Azerbaijan or whoever else we're playing.
Klose's missed another glorious heading opportunity - how many chances does he need tonight?
that's what i thought i heard lineker say but just then dad came in and talked over the follow-on.
I just checked a few websites; nothing about the ref for tomorrow, but Sven is insisting that Roon is ready to start tomorrow. Surely not!
We need a goal in this match. If we top the group and then still get Germany I'm not going to be happy.
Yellow card and a bollocking for Bollock.
Ooooh, the Polish keeper playing silly buggers there and Klose nearly nicks it off him.
Thirty minutes left for Germany to win this one. Will they go to someone like Asamoah on the bench?
Odonkor comes on for Friedrich. I think he made an appearance during the opening match too.
Frings with a free...
oooh, the rebound goes to Odonkor and the Polish keeper Boruc makes a great save.
Now a corner to come; they're piling it on....
Header over the bar.
I cannot believe that these wankers are still pimping the idea that the U.S. team can get something out of the Italy match. Give it up, lads.
Yellow card coming up for Odonkor who tugged a shirt; Jelen was off to the races.
Now a card for Metzelder. And Podolski's coming out. Oliver Neuville comes in; good change. They're still going for it.
Sobolewski must pick up a second red for that cynical challenge on Odonkor. Yes, he's off! Fourth dismissal of the tournament by my count.
Very nearly from the free kick from Schneider headed on by Klose. He should've had a hatful tonight.
The pig climber is coming off finally. He's been unimpressive. Poland also bolstering the defense.
Odonkor has made a difference coming on down the right, but they haven't capitalized on it yet. Fifteen minutes to go. Surely they can pull this one out.
Lahm is nearly the hero again, cutting into the box from the left and making the keeper work.
Then Neuville brings another excellent save from Boruc - MOTM for Poland.
Corner to come for the Germans....
And nothing. Honestly, the German defense has done itself proud tonight. But the forward line hasn't done the biz.
Five minutes left.
Polish fans are celebrating as if they've won the Cup. Are they aware that they've got one point from two matches?
Borovsky picks one out from thirty yards, but pulls it wide.
Yellow card for Boruc for wasting time. Isn't that his second yellow of the tournament?
Incredible! Two shots off the bar, first from Klose and then from Bollock. Then Odonkor pots it but someone is caught offside. It's not Germany's day.
Polish wasting more time with a sub.
YEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS! Goal for Klose in the dying seconds; incredible scenes in the stadium.
Jurgen looks like his head's going to explode. What a heartbreaker for the Poles. Oh dear, how sad, never mind.
Full-time: 1-0 Germany. Not an impressive win but vital. It means that Poland goes home and more importantly Germany will continue to top the group and will likely face Sweden in the second round with England matched up with Ecuador or Costa Rica. Gotta love it!
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