SERBIA 1 GERMANY 0:FOR GERMANY, the damage may be only superficial. They have a game against Ghana on Wednesday and will still confidently expect to clamber safely out of Group D but they have now been exposed as fallible when the perception previously was of no other side being better prepared, or more clear-eyed, when it comes to the art of playing tournament football.
After swatting aside Australia in their opening match, they were beaten by a 38th-minute goal from Milan Jovanovic, newly of Liverpool, and the un-German-like failure of Lukas Podolski to score from the penalty spot after Nemanja Vidic’s handball on the hour. Serbia defended stoutly, played some neat, accomplished football, rode their luck and, ultimately, rejoiced in the most improbable result of the competition bar Switzerland’s victory over Spain. Germany had not lost a group match in the World Cup since going down 2-0 to Denmark in 1986.
Germany, like Spain, paid a heavy price for their profligacy. There is now considerable pressure on them going into their final match, when Joachim Low will be missing his most prolific striker, Miroslav Klose, who was sent off in a match that will mark the name of Alberto Undiano into the black book of every student of refereeing demonology.
The Spanish official brandished 11 red cards in 17 games in La Liga last season and his performance here established him as a referee the other teams in this competition will want to avoid. In total, he showed nine yellow cards and one red, and that actually seemed relatively conservative given the rate at which he was reaching for his pocket in the first half. In that period there were seven yellows, two of which went to Klose.
In the circumstances, an argument could be made that Germany acquitted themselves reasonably well. A man down, they still pressed forward, playing expansive football and putting together a number of scoring chances. Unfortunately for them, Podolski’s finishing was erratic throughout the whole game.
Klose’s dismissal deprived Germany of a striker who has scored 49 goals for his country and 11 in the World Cup, and it ultimately proved to be a key moment.
The protests from Germany were long and vociferous but, in both cases, Klose was guilty of taking down a player who had run away from him, even if there was no malice in either challenge.
The first came after 12 minutes when Branislav Ivanovic burst out of defence and Klose, chasing back, clipped his opponent’s heels, with at least a degree of cynicism. Then, after 36 minutes, Dejan Stankovic got a yard away from his opponent and when Klose extended one of his legs he missed the ball and caught the Serbia captain.
For all the German indignation, Klose was not just guilty of poor tackling but also naivety because, by that stage, it was apparent Undiano was card-happy in the extreme. Four yellows had arrived in the first 20 minutes and Low was correct afterwards to question why Klose had tried to make such a risky tackle when he was already on a yellow.
The importance of that moment was exacerbated two minutes later when Serbia put together a neat, incisive move, the ball reaching Milos Krasic on the right and his cross giving Nikola Zigic the chance to demonstrate his ability in the air. Birmingham City’s new signing is 6ft 8in and, despite the close proximity of two defenders, he expertly knocked the ball down for Jovanovic to control, swivel and turn in the game’s decisive moment. Serbia’s tactic was to hit their opponents on the counterattack and, with Krasic particularly impressive on the right, they put together some bright football. Jovanovic hit a post in the second half and, with the extra man, their ability to keep the ball meant there were times when Germany were stretched in defence.
Nonetheless, Germany did the majority of the pressing. They will look back on the moment, at the end of the first half, when Sami Khedira’s shot came back off the crossbar but, mostly, they will reflect on Podolski’s wastefulness with at least four presentable opportunities, even discounting the chance given to him when Vidic reached out his arm to turn away a cross and concede a senseless penalty.
When a German footballer steps forward to take a penalty there is almost a guarantee that the ball will be deposited into the net. To find the last time they missed one in a World Cup, excluding shoot-outs, it is necessary to go back to 1974 when Uli Hoeness was culpable against Poland.
Yet Podolski’s shot was struck with little of the power for which his left boot is renowned. The goalkeeper, Vladimir Stojkovic, saved to his left and Serbia withstood a late onslaught to leave Group D wide open.
Guardian Service
