Kahn saves German blushes

Germany - 1   USA - 0WORLD CUP 2002/Germany v USA: Amid the hollow celebration on the final whistle, even the staunchest German supporters present were not fooled. "We should change everyone in the side apart from Oliver Kahn," growled Franz Beckenbauer. "If you put all the players in a sack and punched it, whichever player you hit would deserve it."

The outburst, tactless if heartfelt, suggested the Kaiser had just witnessed a footballing catastrophe. Instead Germany, outpassed and outplayed by the USA, find themselves preparing for their 10th World Cup semi-final thanks to a six-minute spell of concerted pressure that yielded Michael Ballack's goal and an inspired display from their goalkeeper. Some things clearly never change.

"Yes, we were lucky to win," admitted Kahn, who collapsed exhausted in the goalmouth, arms raised as much in relief as triumph, at the end of his 50th cap.

"They almost fought us into the ground and I was amazed at their power. We tried everything we could but in two days no one will be dissatisfied with our performance. We are in the last four, which means we are in the top four in the world.

"At last Euro 2000 is history and we can be proud of our young team."

Rudi Voller will be aware that pride may not paper over the cracks for long.

The USA, inspired throughout and denied a clear penalty midway through the second half, should have prevailed after contributing rare pace, width and creation from Claudio Reyna at their midfield hub in a scrappy contest.

"We were a better passing team and we were quicker," said the coach Bruce Arena. "But that's Germany for you; they don't play well but they win."

The coach's abrupt departure down the tunnel at the end betrayed his belief that they should not have been given that chance.

Landon Donovan, a failure to date at Bayer Leverkusen but happy charging at retreating defenders, cut inside the hapless Thomas Linke early on and was denied by a flying Kahn's fingertips.

The Bayern goalkeeper then had to react just as smartly to deny the same player after Reyna's visionary pass had sent the striker clear.

Gregg Berhalter and Eddie Lewis might also have scored for the USA but, if Voller thought his side's first half performance could get no sloppier, he could hardly have been warmed by events after the break.

Germany could not stir themselves even to muster a shot on target while Torsten Frings' inadvertent goal-line handball, unnoticed by the officials, from Berhalter's close-range shot should have prompted a penalty.

The refusal of referee Hugh Dallas to award a spot kick prompted Arena to curse the competition's latest refereeing oversight.

"The big countries still get a lot more respect on calls than the smaller footballing nations," he said.

"It's amazing how such a big side (as Germany) fell over so much as well. I didn't realise we were that strong, but they played for free-kicks in important areas and they got them."

"I thought the ball hit the defender on the hand," said Berhalter, whose shot had flicked off Kahn before striking Frings.

"Games are won and lost in such moments, but I'm not going to complain about the referee. In our last match against Mexico we might have conceded a penalty like that but that went unnoticed too. That's the way it goes."

He was alluding to a penalty-area handball by the USA midfielder John O'Brien missed by the officials.

"Even after the incident Tony Sanneh - twice, including a header into the side-netting in stoppage time - and Reyna might still have plucked the equaliser the Americans deserved.

"We played the Germans off the park," said the outstanding Sunderland midfielder. "We're leaving this competition with our heads held high but scratching them as to why we're going home.

"There are better teams left in the tournament and I would be surprised if Germany win this thing.

"Korea and Spain have a really good chance of beating them; the Koreans for one are tougher than them."

Not that resilience appears to be Germany's chief failing. The world might consider them mediocre, but they continue to surpass themselves.

Having weathered the USA's pressure, they whipped up a flurry of chances just before the interval that proved decisive. Ballack had just glanced Bernd Schneider's header wide of the far post when he rose above Sanneh to power Christian Ziege's waspish free-kick past Brad Friedel. Miroslav Klose then thumped Oliver Neuville's centre against the woodwork.

"It wasn't the manner in which I hoped we would progress," added Voller, Beckenbauer's words no doubt stinging his pride, "but prior to the World Cup people didn't think we had any chance of progressing. Some thought we wouldn't even get out of the group. I'm proud of my players for proving the critics wrong."

SUBSTITUTES

Germany: Jeremies for Schneider (60 mins), Bode for Neuville (80) Bierhoff for Klose (88) USA: Mathis for McBride (58), Jones for Hejduk (65), Stewart for Mastroeni (80).

YELLOW CARDS

Germany: Kehl (66), Neuville (68)

USA: Lewis (40), Pope (41), Reyna (68 ), Mastroeni (69), Berhalter (70)