Austria vs. Germany
Austria need to win and a Polish loss to advance. Germany control their destiny and will need a Croatian loss to top their group. No chance of a repeat of their infamous encounter in '82.
posted by gooner71 @ 6:39 AM
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Austria need to win and a Polish loss to advance. Germany control their destiny and will need a Croatian loss to top their group. No chance of a repeat of their infamous encounter in '82.
Lakenheath Old Boys
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
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Previous Posts
- Poland vs. Croatia
- USA vs. Barbados
- Turkey vs. Czech Republic
- Switzerland vs. Portugal
- Greece vs. Russia
- Sweden vs. Spain
- Holland vs. France
- Italy vs. Romania
- Austria vs. Poland
- Croatia vs. Germany
50 Comments:
Austria need a win and a Polish non-win or a Polish win by less than Austria win....
Dont worry this dream should all be over by 3pm anyway...
I agree, Simon, but we can always dream, right?
Here are the sides for today's crucial Group B clash:
Austria: Macho, Garics, Stranzl, Hiden, Pogatetz, Harnik, Aufhauser, Ivanschitz, Fuchs, Korkmaz, Hoffer
Subs: Manninger, Ozcan, Standfest, Vastic, Leitgeb, Linz, Gercaliu, Katzer, Patocka, Kienast, Saumel
Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Mertesacker, Metzelder, Lahm, Fritz, Frings, Ballack, Podolski, Gomez, Klose
Subs: Enke, Adler, Jansen, Westermann, Rolfes, Neuville, Trochowski, Hitzlsperger, Borowski, Odonkor, Kuranyi
Referee: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain)
Joachim Low has continued with the team "what brought us here."
Erm, perhaps not the best plan....
Lovely, the big match is being played on the main ESPN station. Adrian Healey and Andy Gray doing the honors.
Wow, the Austrians definitely get the award for the Best Anthem Singers in this tournament. Pity that they won't get any points for that.
Three changes for the Austrians, with Hiden, Fuchs and Hoffer making their first appearances in the tournament.
Hickersberger is certainly going for it tonight. The Austrians have started the match with three up front and Fuchs out wide. Either it will be a stroke of genius or it'll open up more space for the Germans to score.
Tremendous atmosphere in the stadium, with the Austrian fans roaring on every touch that the Austrians make.
Hoffer had a chance to play it across to the Harnik at the back post, but hit the keeper.
Wow, Mario Gomez has just made the biggest miss of the tournament and perhaps the most hilarious miss I've seen in years. He had not one but two bites of the cherry there.
First, Klose laid one on a plate for him that merely required a side foot in. Instead he contrived to pop it straight up. Then when he merely needed to jump up and nod it in, he stayed rooted to the floor and then somehow backheaded the ball out of danger. Incredible double miss! One for the blooper reels.
I'm really torn on this one. One the one hand, it would be really hilarious to see the Germans crap out today. On the other hand, do we really want to see either Austria or Poland in the quarterfinals? We already will miss out on seeing either France or Italy (or both!) in the quarters. Could this become the Euro 2008 equivalent of this season's FA Cup final?
The Germans are looking a bit nervy at the moment with some rash challenges coming in. The ref's trying to calm them down, but the butterflies will continue as long as it's 0-0. Gomez could have easily calmed things down with that chance.
Martin Stranzl picks up the first yellow card of the game.
Podolski latched on to a good cross from Frings but he rocketed his shot against an Austrian defender. Remember that Podolski is the current top scorer of the tournament on four goals.
My apologies to David Villa - he's the current top scorer with four. Podolski's only got the three.
Ooh, did Metzelder drag Harnik down there. The ref didn't think so, but I'm seen them given.
Korkmaz played it in but Harnik couldn't control that one. Shame.
Harnik delivers a great ball in but Hoffer's touch was poor. If he'd controlled it better, he could have got a shot off before the tackle came in.
Lehman gave away a needless corner there. He's been less than impressive in this tournament so far and Arsene will be glad that he's off loaded him.
Podolski launched a fierce drive but Jurgen Macho did well to tip it behind.
Something happened off the ball between Aufhauser and Podolski. The ref didn't see it but he's having a word at both players. The replay shows that Lucas made a total meal of a slight arm brush by Aufhauser.
Hoffer has picked up a yellow card for an ankle tap on Ballack.
Klose sprung nicely to get to a header from a corner but he couldn't direct his effort on goal.
Austria are getting some joy down the right through both Harnek and Korkmaz.
The Austrians really are causing some frights here. Even Pogatetz is joining some of these attacks. If this goes long into the second half, I fancy them to nick it.
Bit of handbags on the touchline between Low and Hickersberger. It looks as if the referee has sent both of them off or perhaps he's just sent them back to the dugout. Total chaos in the stadium here at the moment. Andy Gray is losing his mind over the referee.
Yes, both of them are heading to the stands.
Coming to the end of the first half here and the Germans can't be happy with this performance. They've looked nervous throughout and, with a little quality, the Austrians might have been ahead.
Into stoppage time now...
Half-time: 0-0.
Everyone including me expected Germany to kill this one off early. They've done anything but that. Instead, they've given the Austrians every belief that they can achieve a historic victory here. It'll all come down to forty five minutes now.
Second half starting....
No changes yet. The Austrians come straight out with a chance but it's squandered.
Great run by Lahm before he's hacked by Ivanschitz, who picks up a yellow card for that.
Dangerous free kick from about 30 yards here....
GOAL! Ballack with a thunderous strike. It's the first goal from a direct free kick and it's a beauty.
Germany 1-0!
Ivanschitz came in heavy again but the referee didn't seem to notice it. Lucky boy.
So what do the Austrians have now? You would think that the Germans have the discipline to see this one out but who knows...
Lahm makes another strong run but his shot was a weak one. He did set up that free kick by Ballack though.
Podolski whistles one just by the post.
Leitgeb, a midfielder, is coming on for a defender. Tactical change for Austria, who are reverting to a back three now.
Mario Gomez is being withdrawn. He's easily been the biggest disappointment of the tournament so far. Thomas Hitzelsperger is on.
Pogatetz is so frustrated there that he tried to bite the ball and then threw it away in disgust. Lucky not to pick up a yellow for such petulance.
Another change for the Austrians. Aufhauser is off in favor of Martin Saumel.
Martin Harnik is off in favor of Kienast - they've made all of their changes now.
Austria have a chance from a free kick now....
Driven straight into the wall.
Coming down to the last ten minutes. Surely the Germans will be able to see this one out.
Ivanschitz caused some flutters in the German defense there, bombing into the area, but Lahm did well to hook it away.
Oliver Neuville is coming on for Podolski.
Good effort on the turn from Hoffer there but he put it wide.
A chance opened up for Klose there but he left-footed it tamely at the keeper. He has not looked the part so far in Euro 2008. Three games and no goals from any of the German strikers to date.
Into stoppage time now....
Full-time: Germany 1-0.
So that's it. An efficient performance that you expect from the Germans but nothing spectacular. They'll need to play to get beyond Portugal.
And we have our schedule for the rest of the week:
Thursday 2:45 p.m. Portugal vs. Germany
Friday 2:45 p.m. Croatia vs. Turkey
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