Werder Trio Involved In Euro 2008 Qualifying Win

First Team
Sunday, 03.09.2006 / 09:49

The Werder Bremen trio of Miroslav Klose, Torsten Frings and Tim Borowski all played a part in getting Germany off to a winning start in their bid to qualify for a place in the Euro 2008 championship finals in Austria and Switzerland.

The Werder Bremen trio of Miroslav Klose, Torsten Frings and Tim Borowski all played a part in getting Germany off to a winning start in their bid to qualify for a place in the Euro 2008 championship finals in Austria and Switzerland. In their first serious test under the guidance of new trainer Joachim Loew, Germany beat the Republic of Ireland 1:0 (0:0) with a wickedly deflected free-kick in the 57th minute.

 

The Republic of Ireland succeeded in restricting Germany to a single goal win in an eventful opening tie of the European Championship in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium in Stuttgart tonight.

 

A single deflected goal separated the teams at the final whistle after a spirited and passionate performance by Ireland had made Germany work extremely hard for their win.

 

It is true that Ireland were lucky on occasions and that Germany twice hit the Irish woodwork, but the reality was that a German team that had finished third in the World Cup needed a huge deflection of Lukas Podolski’s free in the 57th minute for their only goal. Klose could have made it all clear for Germany in the 70th minute but frustratingly saw his well met header crack off the crossbar.

 

Ireland were forced into deep defence on occasions and they seldom controlled either the pace or the trend of the game, but their defiant performance meant they were so close to snatching a point from the match was so frustrating that it led to the dismissal of manager Stephen Staunton from the touchline in the 75th minute. Staunton had shown increasing signs of agitation in the second half as several questionable decisions went against Ireland. The Spanish referee had occasion to spead to him and finally dismissed Staunton after Ireland had been denied a penalty claim.

 

Kevin Doyle, whose athleticism and clever play had been one of the best features of Ireland’s performance, drove into the German penalty area and went tumbling as a German defender tangled with him in that 75th minute.

 

Doyle was clearly very angry when a free was given to the Germans and when Staunton let his feelings be known on the touchline and kicked a water bottle along the touchline the referee came over to dismiss him.

 

Afterwards Staunton paid this tribute to his team: “Every one of the performances was magnificent. I’m not going to single out any one player …. The back four was magnificent, the midfield worked their socks off and the front two player very well.”

 

As regards the incident that led to his dismissal he said: “I kick every ball, I head every ball, I do everything and I kicked a bottle out of frustration and it was obviously too much.”

 

The goal that decided the game came in the 57th minute when Podolski was held by Andy O’Brien close to the Irish penalty area. Podolski played the free short to Klose and then struck the return pass left-footed from 18 yards so it hit Robbie Keane’s heel and left goalkeeper Shay Given wrong-footed.

 

The weight of scoring chances were heavily in Germany’s favour. Stephen Carr was fortunate not to concede a penalty when he handled in the penalty area in the 13th minute, Miroslav Klose headed against the crossbar and Schweinsteiger drove a free against the angle of crossbar and upright.

 

Ireland rang the changes in the closing minutes and brought in Aiden McGeady, Stephen Elliott and Alan O’Brien in a vain attempt to save a point.

 

On the whole it was an attractive and tight game with Germany deserving the win if alone for the number of chances created. Irelands efforts were worthy of praise but the visitors never really tested Jens Lehmann in the German goal. (FAI)

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