by Darren Walsh
Interesting Germany line up; Gomez, Podolski and Muller out, with Klose, Reus and Schurrle in. I can see why the new players could be used to show better movement than the usual three, but if it doesn’t work Loew mightn’t be able to set foot back in Germany.
We see Angela Merkel going to her seat; I assume she was just in the Greek dressing room telling them what their goal quota is tonight.
False start to the game; the crowd counts down as has been the custom for this tournament, but the referee obviously isn’t paying attention and orders a restart.
That’s an early reducer by Samaras on Khedira, over the ball and on the shin.
Germany attacking in waves, could have had two goals after five minutes.
Fernando Santos always looks defeated on the Greek bench, though he has good reason to look worried right now. Seems like only a matter of time until his team fall behind.
While I’d like to know what the McDonalds passion meter is, I don’t want to know badly enough to actually type out the web address.
Samaras clatters Khedira again; he’s targeting him so much that I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that there’s previous animosity between them. Oh, a minute later he gets booked for catching Schweinsteiger, so it turns out he’s an equal opportunity fouler.
Having said that, at least Samaras is getting into the game. Normally he’s rubbish and disinterested; tonight he’s rubbish and interested.
Sifakis is struggling with any low shots; can’t gather and keeps knocking them back out into traffic.
Lots of slow motion shots showing German frustration; Loew winds his arms around so much that he almost takes off.
Not many full backs can run onto the ball and find the net from 25 yards, but Philipp Lahm can, and that’s how Germany make the breakthrough. Loew celebrates with a spot of shadow boxing and a karate chop to finish.
There are quite a few ads annoying me at the moment. Ray Winstone talking to a hologram of himself is one. The other is for a new phone, and shows a bloke using a video of himself to propose to his girlfriend. Why does he have to use his phone when he’s standing beside her? GET DOWN ON ONE KNEE YOU TIT!! I hope she said no.
Second half starts. For some reason Peter Drury names Khedira as the ballcarrier twice in the same attack when the ball is nowhere near him.
After all the domination, all the pressure, Greece have somehow equalised, or “wiped out the debt” as Drury puts it. Surely a camera shot of Merkel would have been in order here?
Gah, Germany take the lead again; Khedira with a pretty sweet volley.
It looks like the Greek goal was just a slight wobble for the Germans; Klose delivers to make it 3-1.
Merkel celebrates, while in Greece, another hospital closes.
Reus with a fourth which is confirming how superior Germany have been in this match. It is also a volley which goes in off the underside of the bar, which always makes a shot better (See Tony Yeboah vs Liverpool)
Gotze and Gomez come on; I’m surprised that Drury didn’t employ a Mario Brothers pun.
Safakis fumbles another shot; I don’t think he’s been right since taking a knock early on, might even be a concussion.
As expected, Germany have won. Italy or England will face a tall order to overcome them, though there were enough defensive mistakes to allow some hope.
Just as neutrals were coming around on England, ITV interview Ashley Cole. The thought of that odious twerp lifting any trophy always puts me in a bad mood, time to sign off.
