Germany vs Italy

by Golden Goal | July 3, 2006 at 09:30 pm

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And away we go. Italy undoubtedly is happy to still be on German soil and not back home, where the match-fixing scandal continues to make news. Meanwhile Germany's Torsten Frings was banned from the World Cup semifinals after a disciplinary committee found he punched Argentine forward Julio Cruz in a postmatch fracas in the quarterfinals, saying the action was "the result of the unequivocal television images showing his assault on Cruz. Neither the (German federation) nor the player could refute the objective evidence at hand."

The first of the all-European semi-finals, and the Italians have an awesome task ahead of them. Some pundits were predicting a Brazil/Germany final. Now the French have beaten the Brazilians, can Italy despatch the home team?

Italy have won 13 of the 28 times the teams have met, and Germany 7. Both teams have won three World Cup titles. Germany's Klose is the highest scorer of the 2006 tournament, with 5 goals.

Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm, Schneider, Borowski, Ballack, Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Klose

Italy: Buffon, Zambrotta, Materazzi, Cannavaro, Grosso, Perrotta, Pirlo, Gattuso, Totti, Toni, Gilardino

Referee: Benito Archundia (Mexico)

Germany's coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, is pictured looking his usual California sleek in the tunnel. His face is confident - will his team be?

And out come the teams, and the Dortmund stadium is filled with roars. We begin with the national anthem of Italy, which reverberates tunelessly around the crowd. It sounds like a giant ice cream van. A gelati van, maybe. It's followed by the stately German number. Lukas Podolski doesn't sing, but Ballack is making an effort.

Zambrotta, Gattuso and Grosso all have yellow cards. They'll have to be careful to avoid missing the next match, especially given how card-happy the refs have been all tournament.

Kick off!!!

0 min The Italians are making the first moves towards attack, but nothing decisive so far. Totti flicks the ball into the left wing and chases it, but it's easily dealt with by Germany.

3 min Free kick to Italy. Totti swipes it from 35 yards out towards the top left corner of goal. It deflects off the wall and Lehmann has to stretch a bit to reach it.

4 min Ballack claims a free kick from 25 yards out after he is delicately tapped on the foot by an Italian. He loops it over to the side of the box to Schneider, and the danger is snuffed out.

6 min Klose is tripped and rolls halfway across the pitch in a dramatic tumble. They are definitely angling for free kicks here.

10 min Italy win a corner. The Italians are putting a bit of pressure on the Germans, but so far the defence is holding up. Most of the action seems to be happening in the crowd, who are making an impressive amount of noise.

14 min Some nice linking by the Germans, and Borowski nearly has a chance to get on the end of a nice cross and smack it into the box, but a rocket-powered defender gets in the way just in time.

16 min Straight back up the other end, the Germans are forced to do some defending of their own, as Totti thumps a shot in that rebounds off a defender's head.

17 min It's end to end stuff, and a German corner ends in a collision between Gattuso and a German, who race to reach the ball as it bounces off the other side of the field.

20 min Podolski is perfectly positioned to get on the end of a beautiful cross into the box, but he scuffs it and it pings uselessly up in the air. He looks up into the sky - help from God next time, please.

23 min Free kick to Italy, as Zambrotta, who obviously only has a very precarious grip on balance, is upended by a German. It's defended well, and the ball goes to Lehman for a goal kick.

28 min More end to end action, and yet another free kick for Italy, this time just on the side edge of the box. A good chance for the Italians, as Materazzi slices it out to Totti, who hoofs it straight at a German.

33 min The Italians are getting all the chances right now. A corner is swung right into the hands of Jens Lehmann, but if they keep the pressure up it seems like it will only be a matter of time.

34 min So close!! Some neat passing by Klose and Podolski, who cooly threads it across to Schneider on the right wing, who thumps in a shot that just floats over the top of the Italian crossbar.

36 min Now it's the Germans turn to pile on the pressure. Schneider is looking dangerous on the right, and his teammates are pushing a lot of balls his way.

37 min Free kick again for Italy just in the far right corner spot, but the ball sails over the heads of both teams and out of the danger area.

39 min First yellow card of the game goes to Borowski, who made a nasty tackle from behind on Totti.

42 min It's getting hard to hear the commentator over the deafening crowd, who have been worked up into a frenzy by the toing and froing. Half-time will bring a welcome break to all.

44 min Totti makes an acrobatic leap onto a German back, rolls off and lands on the grass, where he sits sulkily while the ref tells him to stand up.

Half-time

49 min The Germans make a surge forward, and the ball sticks to Klose's feet as he canters diagonally into the box. The Italian defender can't seem to get the ball off him. He manages just at the very last minute.

56 min Still no goals. Will this be another extra time marathon? There's not much to separate the two teams at the moment, apart from the agony apparently suffered by the Italians every time they fall over. Totti particuarly appears to be in great pain.

61 min Germany stroke it around in their half, roll it back to the goalie, who hoofs it forwards. It bounces around in midfield.

63 min Klinsmann looks close to exploding at the sideline. Germany had a chance to score, as Podolski executed a textbook turn-and-shoot at the side of the Italian area, but Buffon was well-positioned. Friedrich hoofs the rebound over the goal.

65 min Italy charge forward, and then, inexplicably, Pirlo turns and begins galloping the wrong way up the field. A second surge of attack is quashed by the Germans.

67 min German attack! Borowski is chased around in a circle and off the field by a diligent Italian. Great defending on both sides.

70 min Borowski off, Schweinsteiger on.

73 min Toni off for Italy, Gilardino on

75 min Perotta tests the German goalie with a shot from just outside the area, which results from a neat bit of Italian play down the left wing.

76 min Gilardino is on the floor, teeth clenched in pain. He stands up without too much trouble. Grosso starts up another right-wing attack, and Pirlo shoots from 40 yards out. It's on target, but doesn't have enough power to trouble the goalie.

79 min Chancellor Angela Merkel, who's been Germany's mascot throughout the World Cup, is pictured in the crowd apparently picking her nose.

81 min Free kick for Gemany just on the edge of the Italian area. Ballack misfires, and it splits the crowd behind the goal.

82 min Schneider off, Odonkor on.

84 min A bit of banter between Battuso and Ballack, who collide in mid-air. A cold hug between the two men is followed by a few shoves.

86 min The ball and Perotta evade all the German defenders and thunder goal-wise, only to be taken out by a charging Lehmann. The result looked genuinely painful.

87 min Extra time and penalities beckon...

89 min Yellow card for Camanaresi for a late tackle.

90 min We're into 3 minutes of added time, with a free kick for Germany in a dangerous position at the side of the box. Yet again the ball is overhit, and plinks off field for a goal kick.

91 min Can the Italians pull a last minute goal out like they did against the Australians?

93 min No. Half an hour of extra time, and if the game carries on in stalemate, another set of World Cup penalties.

Extra time

2 mins Off the post! And off the crossbar! First a slow attempt from Gilardino, and then a thundering shot from Zambrotta. The wood of the German goal is still shaking.

4 mins Free kick to Germany, as Zambrotta, up the other end of the field, uses Lahm's' shirt as a pivot and yanks the German to the ground.

7 min Another free kick to Germany, as this time it's Podolski who is pulled to the grass by his shirt. He crosses it into the box, but it bounces off the curls of an Italian head.

11 min Most of the attacks are Italian, but their legs are tired now. Pirlo tries a shot from 25 yards but it doesn't go anywhere near the net.

13 min Ballack gets an elbow to the ear of an Italian, who collapses, as does Ballack, who clutches his face.

Del Piero on, Zambrotta off.

14 min Del Piero makes a neat chip into the box. It bounces out, but falls at Totti's feet. Totti nearly has the time to take a swing at it.

14 min Up the other end, a cracking attempt by Podolski hits the post. And that's the end of the first half of extra time. Italy 0, Germany 0. Still.

17 min Valiant efforts by both teams, but neither can get it in.

20 min Klose off, Neuville on.

21 min Beautiful save by Buffon, who leaps into the air and knocks out a 25-yard strike from Podolski.

22 min Back up the other end, an Italian charge is kicked out for a corner. Del Piero takes it, but the German defence are first to the well-placed cross.

27 Another heroic save, this time from Lehmann, who punches a Del Piero shot over the bar.

Goal!!!!

29 min It's surely all over for the Germans. A beautiful strike from Grosso sweeps past Lehmann into the top left corner. Unstoppable.

Goall!!!!

Incredible!! The Germans are falling apart, as Perotta makes a beautiful side pass into the box right to Del Piero's feet, who doesn't need any encouragement to thump it into the back of the net.

An oustanding end by the Italian team. Their supporters are in tears in the crowd. Italy will be in the final on Sunday. The Germans will be going home. Oh wait, they're already there.

Italy 2, Germany 0