Stretched to Limit, Germany Ousts Argentina
The most anticipated match of the World Cup recovered from a tedious start to provide a dramatic finish on Friday as Germany defeated Argentina, 4-2, on penalty kicks. Hardly anyone finds a shootout to be a satisfying conclusion, but the tautness served to rescue a quarterfinal that was often uninspiring and fractious.
The match had remained tied at 1-1 through 30 minutes of overtime, as neither squad truly measured up to the importance of a confrontation between two World Cup favorites. Afterward, a 90-second scuffle broke out between the teams, bringing a sour end to the afternoon on the field. But outside, hundreds of thousands of German supporters poured into the streets of the capital to celebrate a victory that moved the home team into a semifinal match Tuesday against Italy.
The Italians easily defeated Ukraine, 3-0, with two goals from Luca Toni, in the day's other quarterfinal match in Hamburg.
'The team has grown over the last six weeks, and it is a team which is saying they can be world champions,' Jürgen Klinsmann, the 41-year-old German manager, said afterward.
The game extended to penalty kicks after Argentine defender Roberto Ayala scored on a header off a corner kick in the 49th minute. German forward Miroslav Klose tied the score with his own header in the 80th minute, giving him a tournament-leading five goals.
Finally, Germany prevailed on the instinct and reaction of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who blocked two penalty kicks in the shootout.
Germany appeared confident and decisive on all four of its penalty kicks taken by Oliver Neuville, Michael Ballack, Lukas Podolski and Tim Borowski. The shots eluded the substitute Argentine goalkeeper Leonardo Franco -- who entered in the 71st minute after an injury to the starter, Roberto Abbondanzieri -- and who seemed slightly awed by his first appearance in the tournament.
Lehmann, on the other hand, seemed self-assured, bouncing in front of goal, arms raised, making himself appear larger than his 6-foot-3-inch height.
Klinsmann's decision to start Lehmann in the World Cup ahead of Oliver Kahn had been controversial here. Kahn was named most valuable player of the 2002 World Cup, and he publicly expressed displeasure with his bench role. But few are questioning Klinsmann's choice now. Before Friday's shootout, Kahn approached Lehmann with encouraging words and shook his hand in support.
Lehmann guessed correctly but could not stop Argentina's first penalty kick, by forward Julio Cruz. But on the next attempt he dived to his left and smothered a weak bouncer from Ayala.
On Argentina's third penalty kick, Lehmann got a hand on the shot by midfielder Maxi Rodríguez, but could not keep the ball out of the net. On Argentina's fourth attempt, he dived to his left yet again and punched away the left-footed kick of midfielder Esteban Cambiasso, rendering Germany's fifth kick unnecessary.
The crowd of 72,000 erupted at Olympic Stadium and Germany's players rushed from midfield and the sideline to pile on Lehmann in celebration. Cambiasso broke into inconsolable tears.
Players and coaches disagreed about the brief scuffle that followed. It appeared that Leandro Cufre, an Argentine reserve, got into an argument with two German players. Cufre was red-carded even though the match was over. Players from both sides then began pushing, and the German assistant coach Oliver Bierhoff got into a shoving match with the Argentines.
Klinsmann and Argentina Coach José Pekerman played down the scuffle, blaming the intense emotions surrounding the game.
Pekerman also said he planned to quit as head coach. 'It is over, the chapter is closed,' he said. He will be left to explain why he never inserted the 19-year-old sensation Lionel Messi into the game. Argentina also played the final 48 minutes without its playmaker, Juan Riquelme, who was not sharp and who was substituted for in the 72nd minute.
Argentina played the first half with a dreary patience, apparently trying to draw the larger German defense away from goal and hoping to use its speed and nimbleness for a clinical finish. Meanwhile, Germany started forcefully but crudely, unable to string together more than a few passes.
Klinsmann cautioned his players to remain calm, but their serenity was shattered in the 49th minute, when Argentina did what Germany was supposed to do -- dominate on set pieces.
Riquelme lifted a corner kick and Ayala leapt in front of Klose, who is two inches taller, and headed the ball powerfully from eight yards. Lehmann could only reach futilely as Argentina took a 1-0 lead.
The pace of the game then picked up, with Germany desperate to tie the score. In the 64th minute, after Germany won a corner kick, the Argentine goalkeeper Abbondanzieri went up for the ball, but it appeared he was kneed in the lower stomach or groin by Klose.
The injury persisted, and Abbondanzieri left the field on a stretcher in the 71st minute. He was replaced by Franco, who had not played a minute in this World Cup.
Ballack was limping badly through the end of the second half and could barely move during the overtime, even going to the sideline for several minutes for treatment of cramps. 'I would have gone out, but we already made three substitutions,' Ballack said. 'So I had to tough it out.'
In the 75th minute, Germany sent on the midfielder Borowski, and he made an immediate impact. In the 80th minute, after a throw-in, Ballack crossed to Borowski near the top of the penalty area. Borowski deftly headed the ball to a charging Klose, who got inside Juan Pablo Sorín, Argentina's captain, and drove a header just inside the left post to tie the score at 1-1.
'Small things will decide that sort of game,' Klinsmann said. 'They scored on a corner kick out of nothing. We went after them. We always knew we could come back.'
And thanks to the resolve of Lehmann in goal, Germany prevailed on the nervous and theatrical caprice of penalty kicks.
'For a coach and the entire team, it's a thriller, like a Hitchcock movie,' said Klinsmann, who lives in Southern California. 'Obviously you're the happiest person in the world if you win and the saddest if you lose.'
Rounding Out the Final Four  Jere Longman breaks down today's quarterfinal games. The winners will join Germany and Italy in the World Cup semifinals.
Brazil VS. France  The Brazil-France match is a repeat of the 1998 World Cup final, in which France defeated Brazil, 3-0. Zinédine Zidane scored twice in that match for France, and he has said he will retire after this World Cup. France played unimpressively to start this tournament but has rebounded in its past two games. The speed of wing Franck Ribéry has brought energy to the French team, and Zidane can still control a game from his position inmidfield. The French are aging, though, and it remains to be seen whether they can maintain a top level in consecutive matches. Brazil's Ronaldo suffered a seizure before the 1998 match and played listlessly in the final. Although he has appeared to be overweight and lacking fitness in this tournament, he has scored three goals to become the World Cup's career scoring leader with 15 goals. Brazil has not yet hit on all cylinders, but it remains the favorite.
England VS. Portugal  England has drawn the ire of FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter for its lack of assertiveness in attack, but England Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson seems determined to keep Wayne Rooney as a lone striker. The English have struggled mightily in this tournament and are trying to reach the semifinals for only the third time. The other two occasions were 1966 (when they won) and 1990. Right back Gary Neville is scheduled to return from injury. Portugal is coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari, who was Brazil's coach when it ousted England in the 2002 quarterfinals on the way to bringing Brazil its fifth World Cup title. Portugal will have to play without two midfielders, Deco and Costinha, who received red cards against the Netherlands in the Round of 16.
SOCCER