Germany Beat U.S. 1-0, Into World Cup Semi-finals

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, June 22, 2002

Germany Beat U.S. 1-0, Into World Cup Semi-finals

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Germany Beat U.S. 1-0, Into World Cup Semi-finals

Thanks to wonderful goalkeeping of Oliver Kahn and their experience, three-time champions Germany cruised into the World Cup semi-finals here Friday by edging the combative United States 1-0 in the tournament's quarter-final.

German midfielder Michael Ballack scored the winning goal by heading a Christian Ziege's free kick home in the 39th minute.

Ballack said after the match: "The Americans were top fit and kept trying for 90 minutes, putting us under a lot of pressure. They proved their presence in the quarter-finals was no accident. They deserved to be at that stage."

"We knew that at set pieces were one of our strengths," the midfielder said. "I'm happy that it works out well but it was a lot of hard work and we also had a bit of luck."

Ballack's team mate Miroslav Klose almost added a goal in the 43rd when he headed a left-wing cross to the pole.

Kahn, the incontestable hero of the German team and the whole match, made so many superb saves on close-range shots, headings and solo-runs to guarantee his side's progression.

U.S. goalkeeper Brad Friedel said after the match his opposite number Oliver Kahn was the man of the match.

"We had our chances but the man of the match was their keeper. He played fantastic," said Friedel.

"We're a bit disappointed because we felt we should have won but that is why they're so good. They can play games like this - when maybe they're not the best team -- and still win." he added.

U.S. coach Bruce Arena said after the match that he was proud of his team and he felt they could have won.

"I was really proud of our team, we were a little unlucky. Kahncame up with some great saves and kept them in the match." he said.

"They are a big team, a strong team and they are very dangerousfrom (free kicks). In the match we had a lot of chances, the Germans had two and they converted one - that was the difference.

"We showed the world we can play. We haven't arrived but there's a bright future for the game in the United States." he added.

Germany coach Rudi Voeller was totally dissatisfied with his team's performance despite the victory giving a semi-final place for his side.

"I'm happy to reach the semifinals but I'm not 100 percent happy because we didn't start so well and we didn't play as I wanted us to," Voeller said after the match.

"They put a lot of pressure on us and we didn't get our combination play going," he added.

"We have a very young team but we will have to improve in the semifinals," he noted.

Many yellow cards were shown in this nervous and exciting duel which had seen waves of American attacks on the German defense line. The hard-fighting Americans did not, as expected, carry out the strategy of mass defense at the back. Instead, they fully showed their speed, skills and teamwork before their stronger opponents.

No one could believe that the United States, which had no soccer fever and finished the last in the 1998 World Cup, almost dominated the match with 58 percent ball possession and beleaguered the Germans in most of the time.

In the 17th minute, U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan made a dazzling run along the box line, side-stepping two defenders, and fired a powerful shot which forced Kahn to save with a brilliant dive.

Donovan missed another scoring chance in the 30th when he brokeoff an offside trick and made a solo run into the penalty area. But his final shot was tipped out by diving Kahn.

But the Germans rallied to unleash counter-offensives later andmade several dangerous heading shots which led to the goal.

Both sides squandered some other scoring chances in the first half including a bicycle-kick blasted by Germany's forward Loiver Neuville in the box in the 35th, which hit the face of a defender,and a U.S. clear volley in the area touched off by Kahn.

The start of the second half witnessed flash offensives by the Americans who nearly earned a draw in the 50th when defender GreggBerhalter's close-range shot on a corner kick was held down by Kahn on the goal line.

U.S. midfielder Claudio Reyna fired a long-range shot from the midfield in the 63rd when he saw Kahn ran out of the box. But the high ball went narrowly wide. His partner Tony Sanneh wasted another chance to catch up in the 85th when he jumped and headed afree kick wide in the box facing on defense at all.

In the 89th, Sanneh missed the best and the last chance for theUnited States when he headed a right-wing cross a few inches wide.

Although being eliminated from this World Cup, the United States could boast their jump into the quarter-final, which had already stunned the world.

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