Impressive Germany gaining momentum

Germany 2 Sweden 0: It was possible to feel both sorry for and irritated by Sweden all at once on Saturday. On the one hand they came to Munich and found themselves as bit players in a mass rally to mark the coronation of a new and exciting German side.

On the other hand they went too passively to their fate that it was hard to make a case for them.

Two goals in the opening 12 minutes were the centre piece of a dazzling passage of football as Germany dominated the first half and forced Sweden onto the shuttle for the airport before they knew they were in a match. This German side has flaws and looks creaky at central defence but when they are positive and flowing and carried along by their crowd they look as if they could score four or five just because they want to.

On Saturday it took just four minutes for the flow to start.

Miroslav Klose took a pass off Ballack, drove through the Swedish defence with his first touch and drew a save from Isaksson. The ball fell to Lucas Podolski who rammed it home with the help of a deflection from Olof Mellberg's head. In the Allianz Arena all hell broke loose.

With the crowd roaring in guttural Germanic unity the chances kept coming, the best of which was a Podolski drive over the bar .

Sweden created one chance at the other end as the Germans threatened to blow them away. Henrik Larsson got free eight or nine yards out but hit the sidenetting.

Sweden suffered a couple more frights before Podolski made it 2-0.

Schweinsteiger played a neat little ball to Klose who played a reverse pass for Podolski, steaming in from outside. Fine goal.

Two goals in arrears after 12 minutes and facing a driven German team, the Swedes seemed to realise that a reprieve was unlikely.

What of this German team though? They crept into their own World Cup written off as being one of the weakest teams ever to wear the white jersey. Klinnsman was a flakey vegetarian, muesli sandal-wearing Californian sun worshipper and his side were lightweight imposters.

Just two weeks later all bets are up for revision. Ballack apparently at peace now with Klinnsman was immense on Saturday. Klose is always a danger around World Cup time and Podolski is beginning to look like one of those players who rides the crest of a World Cup wave all the way to the end.

They don't play like German teams have been bred to do. They aren't methodical and calculating. They don't probe patiently for the opening, retreating any time they don't find it. They are cavaliers, swords drawn from the start. They have a decent haul of 10 goals in four games but the number of chances they have created is huge.

They look like a side who could concede a couple of goals on any given day but you'd bet on them scoring more at the other end. On Saturday Sweden were pummelled for the first half hour.

The impressive Philipp Lahm ran all the way to the endline before cutting back for Klose who drew another good save from Isaksson. For a while Isaksson was all that was standing between Sweden and oblivion.

A little later the game effectively ended when Teddy Lucic was sent off for a second bookable offence.

The second half was highlighted by just one poignant moment. Larsson was laid low in the box by Metzelder. As the striker prepared himself to take the penalty Sweden opted to send on a sub. His own team were messing with his head. In the most hostile arena imaginable Larsson had to wait to take his kick. When he did he thumped it well over the bar. Game over.

After that the German's were happy to play the match out with thoughts of conserving their own energy. Everybody queued politely to have a shot or two at the magnificent Isaksson but the scoreline remained stubbornly unchanged.

"It was out of the ordinary" said pleased manager Jurgen Klinsman "Everything we set out to do, to play with a lot of pressure and get goals quickly was achieved. Strangely, we lost our rhythm after the Swedish player was expelled but we had some good opportunities. It's really forming now, how the team gets better with every game, closer as a unit." Argentina get to test the strength of that unity next. Of more worry to Klinnsman is the fact that they will get to test the fibre of his central defence too.