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Cameroon lose tempers and the match
Germany scored two second half goals against Cameroon to end up atop Group E and in the second round. The Republic of Ireland join them in the knockout phase thanks to their victory over Saudi Arabia. The goals came from Marco Bode and Miroslav Klose in a foul-tempered match with both teams being shown eight yellow cards and finishing the match a man short. Cameroon very nearly went ahead when Salomon Olembe was put into the clear from 25 metres. Olembe hesitated as Oliver Kahn charged out of the net and his shot went straight into the keeper. The Marseille man recovered the rebound and his attempted cross was batted toward the goal, but Kahn recovered in time to smother the threat (13'). Cameroon's German coach Winifred Schafer identified this as the first important point in the match. "There was a major chance for us to score, but Salomon Olembe didn't and it's always very difficult to beat Oliver Kahn, that's the greatest problem." Cameroon must then have thought their luck was really out when Rigobert Song was given a clear opportunity, but his short-range header at the near post went inches wide (28'). It was not one way traffic as Alioum made a brilliant save from a Christian Ziege free-kick. Germany seemed to grow frustrated as the half drew to a close. Tempers flared on a few occasions and Carsten Ramelow was sent off for two yellow cards Schafer said of the red card: "I think the decisive moment was the red card. "I pointed out to my players that we had to play more over the wings. It had to be visible to everybody that we were one man up, but they didn't really heed that advice...we were playing too much through the middle and lost possession too early and that was how the first goal of the Germans came about. I told my players they had to work more, because 10 players on the field instead of 11 tend to grow wings as they say...Cameroon did it at the Olympic Games...but it is something that happens in the head." The half-time interval seemed to come at a perfect time for Germany. Soon after the restart Bode broke through the Cameroon defence onto Klose's perfect pass and calmly placed his shot into the side-netting, giving 10-men Germany the lead. The break also seemed to dash all of Cameroon's momentum, as the Indomitable Lions could not regain their momentum and challenge Kahn as they had in the first half. The cautions kept flying in the second half and manpower was equalised when Patrick Suffo was sent off (77'). At even strength, Germany quickly went forward and Klose, the tournament's leading scorer, netted his fifth. Michael Ballack crossed to the back post, where a wide-open Klose knocked the ball past Alioum to all but end Cameroon's fading hopes for the second round At the end Schafer
said: "I don't think I would have made anything different at this
match, but I would have strived by all possible means to arrive on time
to Japan for the first game. The first game (1-1 with Ireland) we should
have won...my boys, I think, would have deserved to win it. They prepared
for this for the last four years and it was an immense pity that they
didn't win against Ireland for sheer lack of acclimatisation." "Normally the locker room is a sanctuary and I don't let on what I say, but this time I make an exception. I thanked my players, I thought it was a great work - they didn't deserve to go out this way, but it was not to be. And I didn't want the last match to be the decisive game, but that is how it happened. I told them to keep their chin up - he only drowns who stays in water, so they have to crawl out of the water." |
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In
Round 2 Ike
Shorunmu Lucas
Radebe Samuel
Eto'o In
Round 1 Metsu's
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