Germany have beaten England 4-1 in the Last-16 of the World Cup.
However, in almost a replica of Geoff Hurst's controversial shot in 1966 it was England who suffered at the hands of a linesman. With the scores at 2-1, Frank Lampard's chipped effort cannoned off the crossbar and over the line before bouncing out—Germany then ran amok...
Live play-by-play
Hi, I'm Will, I'll be taking you through the play by play in one of the most anticipated matches in years, or at least since England and Germany played each other the last time.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, and for those of you who don't know, England are playing Germany in the Last-16 of the World Cup in Bloemfontein. As ever, it will be a clash of biblical proportions, and most probably the highlight of the tournament, so far.
Preview
History will be made in someway today, neither side have ever lost a Last-16 match at a World Cup Finals and that will end today, unless you're an anorak and the match goes to penalties—something the British public have become obsessed with this week.
England captain Steven Gerrard:
"This is a game where you have to stand up and be counted. When you are growing up, it is the stage you want to be playing at. There could be a big moment in the game that can define any player's career. But you look forward to it. It is a fantastic game to play in. Everyone is excited."
Germany captain Philipp Lahm:
"All I can promise is the team who will be stepping out on Sunday will be mentally well prepared and knowing how to play brave and attacking football. But, for us, matches of the past do not play such a major role. We know the English players have good qualities, we know perfectly well that they play the opposite to kick and rush."
Stats:
Neither England nor Germany have ever lost a round of 16 match at the World Cup finals
The last time England won a World Cup game after the opposition opened the scoring was in the 1966 World Cup final, against Germany
Germany have missed three out of a total 30 World Cup penalties (including shoot-outs), with Lukas Podolski's miss against Serbia the first spot-kick failure in 27 years.
Frank Lampard has had 33 shots at World Cups without scoring, the joint-most along with Jay-Jay Okocha of Nigeria.
And just for good fun, Italy, who exited the competition in the Group stages only conceded six shots from their three games at the 2010 World Cup, unfortunately they conceded five goals.
Team news:
Teams are just in, pretty much as expected. Upson is retained as Carragher returns from suspension while Bastian Schweinsteiger takes him place in the engine room after shaking off a hamstring injury.
The tide of the match could have shifted on his inclusion alone.
Germany: 1-Manuel Neuer; 16-Philipp Lahm, 3-Arne Friedrich, 17-Per Mertesacker, 20-Jerome Boateng, 13-Thomas Mueller, 6-Sami Khedira, 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 10-Lukas Podolski, 8-Mesut Ozil, 11-Miroslav Klose.
England: 1-David James; 2-Glen Johnson, 15-Matthew Upson, 6-John Terry, 3-Ashley Cole; 16-James Milner, 4-Steven Gerrard, 8-Frank Lampard, 14-Gareth Barry; 19-Jermain Defoe, 10-Wayne Rooney.
Referee: Jorge Larrionda (Uruguay).
For those of you who care about these kind of things, England will be wearing their red kit, memories of Geoff Hurst, "they think it's all over...", Russian linesmen, and the last time they beat Germany in the World Cup.
Live match:
We've sat through the national anthems, now let the games begin...
1min: England tip off and almost immediately Gareth Barry launches an up and under over little Philipe Lahm, who deals with it easily.
2min: Friedrich is playing very close attention to Jermain Defoe, looks like the Hertha Berlin stopper is doing a man to man job on the striker. He's starting off very well, the game is only two minutes old and he's already dispossed the Spurs man three times.
3min: Upson puts Rooney through into a one on one with Neuer...offside, very close call. Straight from the freekick Schweinsteiger plays a great ball through to Ozil who is denied by David James' knees at the near post. End-to-end after just three minutes...
6min: Fabio Capello nearly had an embolism shouting at Gareth Barry against Slovakia, the City man isn't off to the best of starts, another wayward cross field pass.
8min: There's a real cup tie feel to this game, fantastic atmosphere, even with the vuvuzuelas...Ozil seems to have an inate ability to ghost into positions without being picked up. It looks like England's midfield don't know how to deal with him.
10min: Quick German break, three on three, Lukas Podolski decides to shoot straight at John Terry instead of slipping Kheidira through, bad decision by the striker. The counter attack came after some sloppy play by England at the edge of the German box. Milner giving the ball away in a tight position. England will have to beware, Germany countered incredibly quickly...
12min: Heavy touch by Muller brings about a brilliant ball, man, and all, tackle from Ashley Cole. You'll have to get up early in the morning to get the better of the Chelsea full-back, easily the best left full in the world.
15min: We've hit the 15 minute mark with Ozil's early effort still the only shot on target. Muller finds space and puts in a long deep cross for Klose, but David James comes and collects, making it look very easy. Good 'keeping.
16min: Barry allows Khedira to run on, he had anticipated a pass but the Stuttgart man shot at goal instead, high and wide, a lucky escape for Barry who hasn't started well.
18min: Freekick on the edge of the box after some good play by Defoe. He held the ball up well when facing three opponents before Lampard took up the running and got fouled.
19min: Lampard extends his record, a poorly taken freekick is put straight into the wall, before Gerrard shoots wide. That was a great chance for England.
20min: GOAL!!!! Germany 1-0 England (Klose)
Long kickout by Neuer, almost goes the length of the field. John Terry reads it terribly and England's defence opens like the Red Sea. Klose manhandles Upson and slides the ball past James for the opener. 1-0. Miroslav Klose's 50th international goal in his 99th game for Germany and now he's just one short of being the World Cup top scorer of all time. Wouldn't it be nice to get that in his 100th cap? He will if England don't wake up...
22min: Rooney cuts in from the left and lets fly, and the ball does fly, I think it's in Cape Town now...
Really shoddy defending for the goal there by Terry and Upson, cardinal errors by the defensive duo.
24min: Ozil breaks free again but Schweinsteiger's pass is too long. England are really struggling with the German formation. Ozil isn't being picked up at all and it is worth noting that the only team England have beaten in this world cup used a straight forward 4-4-2. Every team England struggled against used five through the middle...
25min: Looking at the replays, Klose looked offside when Neuer launched his missle...Does John Terry not know the rules?
RON FURLONG SAID: James has to come out for the ball more aggressively. He looks too undecided.
DARLON SAID: That's right it's James' fault for everything....Terry his defender (never) Rooney "the white Pele" who scored 10 ...oh sorry that's a typo...I mean 0 goals in this WC.(never)
29min: Muller and Khedira play a beautiful one-two that cuts England to ribbons, James saves the Three Lions yet again.
32min: GOAL!!! Germany 2-0 England (Podolski)
Muller is having a blinder here, he breaks into the box and slides a pass to Podolski who slots home his 40th goal for Germany. This is far too easy for the German's. England would have no complaints if they were four down at this stage. The whole spine are having a nightmare. Terry, Upson, Lampard, Gerrard... and Johnson out on the right, in particular.
34min: England almost pull a goal back as Neuer pulls off a great save to deny Lampard at close range after Rooney had crossed to him.
36min: Germany almost score a third as Klose pulls off a simple drag back that puts Upson and Barry out of the game before David James comes to the rescue again.
37min: GOAL!!! Germany 2-1 England (Upson)
Upson scores from a short corner with a powerful header as Neuer goes missing. You've really got to hand it to them, England should be dead and buried here and they're still going. They're like Rocky in Rocky 3 with Germany as Clubber Lang...
39min: CONTROVERSY, 1966 ALL OVER AGAIN, EXCEPT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!
Lampard scores a phenomenal chip from the edge of the area. His lofted ball leaves Neuer in no-mans land and bounces off the cross bar behind the goal line and back out again, no goal says the Portuguese linesman! England are robbed blind. Are you watching Sepp? Wait until tomorrow!!! Especially if England lose.
DAVID ALLEN SAID: Disgraceful mistake by the referee. Unlike 1966, it wasn't even close...
42min: England are on top here, it's still hard to believe that that goal was disallowed, it was so over the line it was unbelievable. From being on top and coasting, Germany are now on the ropes, half-time can't come quick enough for Jogi Loew's side.
45min: England finishes the half the stronger and should be level. I wonder if the linesman is a banker? Because I'm trying to lip read England's fans and they appear to be saying "the referees a..."
NICK PIRCE SAID: Joachim Löw is new Michael Jackson
HALFTIME ANALYSIS: It would appear that what goes around comes around. 44 years since the most talked about goal in World Cup history we have it's direct opposite and it is no less controversial.
Germany were coasting at 2-0 after 35 minutes and looked like going further ahead, England fight back and should be level...
This match is a huge embarrassment for Sepp Blatter, we're barely seven months since he made a fool of himself and mocked Ireland and video technology after Thierry Henry's controversial handball. He refused to use video technology and belittled Michel Platini's idea of a referee behind the goal, and now we have another massive injustice that would be avoided by bringing the game into the 21st century.
Hopefully the referee will not be conditioned by his gross mistake and try to even things out...
46min: The second half is off and even the German fooball magazine Kicker have acknowledged that the goal should stood!
BRIAN SAKAKEENY SAID: Neuer is playing like a bum. Gotta love how Beckenbauer accuses England of playing "kick and chase" football and then Germany goes straight down route 1 for the first goal. That half was cardiac arrest, can't blame the linesman though...he only missed it by a yard hahaha
48min: Steven Gerrard makes his first real contribution of the match and shoots wide after cutting in from the left. His lack of positional sense and inability to do his job on the left has left Ashley Cole cruelly exposed at times. Fabio should have had one or two things to say at halftime...
50min: England are getting the ball forward as quickly as possible, Mertesecker looks fragile when backtracking and very comfortable when he's coming onto the ball. If England can get the ball behind him for Rooney or Defoe to run onto they will score.
52min: Quite possibly the most ambitious freekick in this, or any other, World Cup as Frank Lampard smashes a dipping thunderbolt off the cross bar from fully 45 yards. I wonder if his "goal" was counted as a missed shot in the record books?
GUIDO SAID: Bring on the countless 1966 comparisons...
55min: England have to keep this early pressure up. Klose looks too dangerous at the moment and he will expose Terry and Upson given half the chance.
57min: Defoe almost gets in to equalize after he raced onto Lahm's poor backpass. Neuer is off his line like a shot and clears just inches ahead of the Spurs man.
59min: Neuer's missle like kicks are causing England all kinds of problems. you can't be offside from a goal kick and Germany are forcing England to camp out on their own penalty box instead of the halfway line.
61min: Barry goes for the simple pass instead of the "Beckham" and finds Rooney, he slips Milner in who shoots straight at goal...Jerome Boateng does a piece of John Terry type defending and throws his body into the line of fire...let off for Germany...again.
63min: SUBSTITUTION FOR ENGLAND: The game is starting to stretch as the teams get tired. Milner goes off for Joe Cole who could just be the man to open Germany up.
65min: Rooney goes down under the attention of Friedrich...The German player is already on a yellow and escapes with just a freekick.
66min: Lampard's freekick cannons straight off the wall, a quick German break is on the cards...
67min: GOAL!!! Germany 3-1 England (Muller)
Schweinsteiger does brilliantly to pick out Muller on the right after the Stuttgart man checked his run to remain onside. David James makes a terrible howler and dives out of the way of the shot as Muller makes it 3-1 to Germany. It was easily as big a mistake as Rob Green's against the USA....
70min: GOAL!!! Germany 4-1 England (Muller)
Another England set-piece, anotehr Germany goal...Ozil tears away from Gareth Barry like the England man is standing in molasses. He breaks into the box and calmly picks out Muller who slots home.
72min: SUBSTITUTION FOR ENGLAND: Heskey on for Defoe.
Looks like England are going Route-One, so why Heskey instead of Crouch?
THEBESTINTHEWORLDSAID: the way cappelo has favoured heskey over crouch despite heskey's evident uselessness baffled me this tournament...
73min: SUBSTITUTION FOR GERMANY: Jogi Loew "thinks it's all over" he takes Klose and the fantastic Muller off for Mario Gomez and Trochowski.
75min: England looks demoralised while the Germans are playing by the numbers. The game is fizzling out as Lampard and co. realise they need three goals...
80min: Ozil goes down under a challenge from Johnson, the Liverpool defender had to take him down there, a yellow card was just reward.
82min: SUBSTITUTION FOR GERMANY: Ozil for Kiessling as Germany bring on another young player to rub English noses in it. The little lad of Turkish descent has had another fabulous game and is easily one of the standout stars of the tournament. Who would have thought that German flair would have overcome English experience?
86min: Germany are just knocking the ball around for fun now. England just want to go home, and one must wonder if Fabio Capello has a future...
87min: Capello has answered that himself by bringing on Shaun Wright-Phillips for Glen Johnson. Another terrible substitution by Capello. The game is all but over why not bring on Crouch? Is it damage limitation?
NABEEL KHOLKAR SAID: There have been fundemental errors from Capello on selection, formation and overall tournament thinking.
89min: England will complain long and hard about the "goal" that never was but they can have few complaints about the result. This was another disappointing performance and adds to the horrendous displays they put in during the Group phase.
Germany were just too quick, too smart, too good, and too organised in every department for poor England. The 4-1 result is justified and is England's heaviest defeat ever in a final tournament.
90min: Game over... Germany were excellent and on this performance are easily one of the best teams in the competition. They will be tough to beat.
England fans will wonder what might have been. There is a world of difference between 2-2 and 3-1 down, but Germany are worthy winners.
While the 4-1 scoreline is a lie on one hand, one the other it shows the gulf in class between the two sides.
England collapsed in the second half and cannot use the disallowed goal as an excuse for the result. The manner of performances by England during this competition will take a long time to sort through.
They never got going once and one must wonder at Fabio Capello's preparation, because on this evidence England looked out of sorts, naive, they lacked discipline, and most importantly the looked unfit.
In the end it was a typical a-Cappello performance as every player seemed to be reading from a different hymn sheet without any real back up...
The scapegoats are many, Rob Green, David James, a dodgy linesman, but when all is said and done the spotlight will rest on Capello. As manager the buck stops with him and he must take his fair share of the blame because England ultimately got what they deserved.
PLAYER RATINGS:
ENGLAND:
- James (5)
- Johnson (3) Wright Philips (-)
- Cole (4)
- Terry (3)
- Upson (3)
- Milner (3) J.Cole (3)
- Gerrard (2)
- Lampard (6)
- Barry (1)
- Defoe (2) Heskey (1)
- Rooney (4)
GERMANY:
- Neuer (6)
- Friedrich (7)
- Lahm (7)
- Mertesecker (7)
- Boateng (6)
- Khedira (7)
- Schweinsteiger (8)
- Ozil (9) Kiessling (-)
- Podolski (6)
- Klose (8) Gomez (5)
- Muller (MOM) (9) Trochowski (5)
