Final musings
So, a positive showing for the Socceroos. They’ve certainly come a long way from the Pim Verbeek 2010 World Cup 4-6-0 white flag of unmitigated surrender.
A friendly match is, as it suggests, very different from a competitive tournament fixture - so don’t rush to proclaim the decline of the World Champions, or the rise of Australia as a new footballing world power.
The hosts lacked cohesion for vast chunks, but still showed glimmers of future promise. Bellarabi out wide certainly pressed his claims for more senior appearances - and a nice cameo at the end too from Max Kruse.
For Australia, some great scrambling defence - Alex Wilkinson may be overlooked due to the more sophisticated passing games of Sainsbury and Spiranovic but his positioning was excellent and he marshalled the defence well.
But more than that, Ange Postecoglou’s possession-based game stood up to a test against world class opposition - there was no reversion to direct football; the Socceroos passed, moved and pressed with conviction - a real sign of their continuing development.
Australia certainly the happier - a fine result, and another happy memory from Kaiserlautern.
Thanks for your thoughts, musings, ramblings - Richard Parkin signing off; there’s a cup of tea and a slice of banana bread somewhere with my name all over it. Get in.
Some corrections from my learned friend, Markus Kurek:
I am watching the match at home in Germany, and reading you minute by
minute on guardian.com. It’s always interesting to read English
commentary (either on BBC or Guardian) and counting how many times the
words clinical or/and ruthless were used ;)
the German fan chant is not quite right ( @ 18min )
it’s ‘Tor’ (goal) not ‘Tur’. Tur with an Umlaut ( Tür ) is the German
word for door ;)
Or is this some pun which I don’t get? :)
‘Aufstellung’:
I think ‘lineup’ would be the more appropriate translation.formation in German would be ‘Formation’
Fair cop, I’ll take that - the ‘well-oiled German machine’ is an overused cliche. Mind you, who could watch Germany v Brazil at the World Cup and not be instilled with a deep sense of the ‘ruthlessness’ of this side. That was the most brutal thing I’ve ever watched in football.
Alas no double-entendre on the Tor/Tur front, just extreme tiredness I’m afraid - say what you like about football in Oz, it almost never happens during good timezones!
I’ll workshop a ‘Los geht’s Deutschland schliess ein Tuer’ pun in the interim though.. Watch this space :)
Updated
Gentle celebrations among the Socceroos players. No falling to the knees and dedicating it to the big man upstairs, but certainly some relief on the faces, and a sense of a job well done.
A touch disappointing from the world champions to be honest. Joegi Loew taking the opportunity to try some new combinations, and fresh faces; but he’d be disappointed with some basic indiscipline in possession.
Still, when they absolutely needed to, Die Mannschaft found a way - great impetus from the subs Schuerrle and Podolski; they definitely swung a bit of momentum towards the hosts.
Pffft! Full time - that's it!
Michael Oliver’s seen enough - it’s honours even here in Kaiserlautern; Germany 2 - 2 Australia!
90 min + 2: surely last moments for the hosts here - they look to shift the play quickly. Again it shifts to Podolski’s wing - but:
90 min: break here with Oezil, but the moment passes. The hosts recycle possession, and Australia do a good job of regathering and pressing. Good interception by Wright and suddenly it’s Australia with the ball. A swift counter to Podolski - and he’s dragged another shot.. just wide!
89 min: not a lack of urgency here, but certainly a patient patch of possession for the hosts - it breaks wide to Podolski wide right - he cuts inside on his preferred left and the crowd gushes with expectation: it’s a curling left foot drive.. and it goes high!
86 min: Ange Postecoglou turns to Juric - he’s on for goalscorer Troisi. Straight away the Socceroos look to hit the feet of the strong striker. He’ll certainly be an outlet as Australia look to stem continuous attacks.
85 min: and all of a sudden the Germans are streaming forward in twos and threes. The crowd comes to life a touch more - absolutely no sense the hosts are settling here.
Lauren Freede gives us the Australian in Germany perspective on this one:
Am watching live on TV from rather damp and cold North Germany. The commentary thus far is alternating between repeating with some surprise that Australia’s no longer a crap long-ball bunch of crude tacklers (OK, that’s my paraphrase) so maybe Germany will have to actually play better in the future, and randomly mispronouncing the Australian names.
Good to know our stock has risen on the international level. Another goal here from Germany though and I’m sure we’ll be ‘route one donkeys’ in no-time again.
GOAL! Germany 2 - 2 Australia (Podolski)
81 min: and as seemingly sure as sun follows rain - it’s Lukas Podolski who makes amends. Brilliant play from Schuerrle in the lead up. He received a lovely cut back, jinked inside one or two and then picked out Podolski to drive home.
Nothing Ryan could do there - clinical and composed from the man who moves to 2nd on the German all-time goalscorers list.
Updated
79 min: and Bailey Wright very nearly immediately proves that point - he misjudges a cross and two German attackers are very nearly through on goal! It’s not Sir Alex Ferguson ‘squeaky bum time’ but a slightly tightening of the ol’ valves there.
77 min: and here’s a sub just for me - Oli Bozanic comes on for Matt McKay. Big fan of the young FC Luzern midfielder. Bailey Wright also on for Alex Wilkinson. Not sure if the latter took a knock under that Podolski challenge. You have to hand it to Ange - it takes plums to change your centre half in the 78th min with the world champions breathing down your necks.
76 min: Oezil with a free kick - about nine gold shirts in the box to scramble it clear; like being put in a mediaeval iron maiden, the hosts are just gently beginning to ratchet up the pressure.
73 min: brilliant clearing header from Wilkinson - Schuerrle almost picks out the new man Podolski - and straight away you feel a shift in intensity. He’s not one to muck about is our Lukas. Bubbling nicely for a nervy last fifteen now.
72 min: more reinforcements for the Germans - on comes Podolski for Reus, he’s joined by Kruse - not Robbie, but Max - and I think it’s Goetze who’s also come off.
70 min: a nice passage of sustained passing here for the Germans. An errant cross though, and suddenly Australia are on the counter attack.
A brilliant lofted cross puts it on a plate for Leckie at the far post.. Would you believe it! Clips the base of the post and runs wide.
Match commentators drop in “He can’t buy a goal at international level, can Mathew Leckie..”
No comment from yours truly.
68 min: ouch - a really nasty fall here for Mustafi. He challenges Leckie for a aerial duel and comes down heavily on his right shoulder. A two minute break in play - Ange Postecoglou takes the opportunity to give Aaron Mooy just his fifth cap. He’s on for Milligan - let’s see how he does. He’s had an absolute barnstorming season so far for Melbourne City - can he deliver the goods against the world champions?
Updated
66 min: it really hasn’t been a fluid performance from the hosts here. Schuerrle with a sloppy giveaway. They’re really struggling to build momentum here. Australia aren’t exactly sitting back yet, but you would expect Germany to start putting them under more pressure.
64 min: golly gosh - an awkward moment at the back for the Germans. Zieler’s really not covering himself in glory here. He’s scampered off his line to shut down Oar, but inexplicably found himself stranded. Oar and Leckie contrive to not punish the error - cue mandatory close ups of Manuel Neuer on the German bench looking, well, underwhelmed is the best euphemism for that.
62 min: and here come the cavalry - Kramer and Schuerrle about to enter the fray. Khedira makes way, as does Bellarabi. That’s a net gain of one umlaut there - I’m not sure how many are out there now, but if it’s more than five or six, the Socceroos could be in trouble.
60 min: and to drop that most fabled of footballing cliches - ‘cometh the hour, cometh the man’ - sure, it works better when it’s Martin Tyler talking about Alessandro del Piero (at the ...2oo2 world cup?) - but in this case it’s Tommy Oar. He’s on for Nathan Burns.
A cheerio to Erich Wehmeyer in sunny Capetown (or Kapstadt, to its friends?)
“Bellerabi, he is actually very good, would be in shoo-in in most national teams, but is obviously up against a group consisting of Schweinsteiner, Özil, Khedera, Kroos, Götze, Müller, Kramer, Gündogan, etc. etc. for a place in the midfield. Hope to see more of him in the future...”
Yep, a terrifying thought for those supporting the Socceroos - about half of these names are standing by on the bench, ready to see action.
57 min: and for anyone getting ahead of themselves, a nice camera pan of the German bench. If you think Thomas Mueller, Bastian Schweinsteiger et co. are happy to just lose this one, think again. Don’t be surprised to see a few changes soon - and it’s a fair shout there might be some more goals here.
53 min: and having said that, up pops Troisi with a curling shot just wide. I promise you - last time I looked up they were covering him in swaddling.. Is that a word? Sure. Why not. But, back on the pitch and drags it wide. Interesting that the Socceroos are being afforded so many chances here. Question marks over the experimental Joegi Loew tactics at this stage.
51 min: break in play after a nasty headclash. Troisi splashing the claret, and being suitably mopped up. It’s never Shiraz or Cabernet is it? Who knows why that is..
GOAL! Germany 1 - 2 Australia (Jedinak)
49 min: would you believe it! Mile Jedinak with a free-kick just outside the box - curls beautifully, question marks over whether Zieler could have done better there, but who cares - the Socceroos lead in Kaiserslautern!
Updated
Pffft! Kick off - second half
45 min: so, the players return to the pitch - one change for the Germans, Badstuber makes way, Sebastian Rudy from FC Hoffenheim comes on. Not sure if that’s enforced, or tactical - will wait to see if there’s any noticeable shift in ‘Aufstellung’.
The Guardian Australia does have eyes and ears inside the stadium - we’ll be hearing from Jack Kerr at fulltime with his wrap, but a cheeky pre-game observation here:
A word that might cross our lips a few times tonight #GERAUS pic.twitter.com/JkKRnh5dF8
— Jack Kerr (@jckkrr) March 25, 2015
I’ll not lie, pre-game I had flashes of Germany v Brazil springing to mind, but it’s been a much closer affair than that, so far.
Some rumours the email forwarding isn’t quite working this morning - try richard.parkin.casual@theguardian.com - I assure you the added segment refers only to my employment status, and not my passing out from the back ala Mile Jedinak..
Interesting observation from Ernst Dietrich here:
#GERAUS es gab einmal ein Zeit, da dachte man bei einer #Ecke "aufpassen eine Torchance" heute denk man "schade Chance vertan"
— Ernst Dietrich (@gowcms) March 25, 2015
Hmmm. Definitely makes you think, doesn’t it.
Many thoughts, like why don’t we have an English-language first name that translates as ‘Serious’?
So - a half played in keeping with the friendly tag. It’s not a World Cup final, so the Germans understandably a touch low-energy. But both sides showing some glimpses.
Your thoughts? Impressed by the Devere-Wilkinson combination? Disappointed in the final product from FC Ingolstadt’s Mathew Leckie? Email me, shoot me a tweet. Show me the magic, and kid - you could get your name up in lights.
Pffft! Half Time
There’s the whistle. The Australians slightly aggrieved, they felt they had an attack underway, but our English Schiedsrichter has seen enough and blown for HT.
Tough call this - would an Englishman hate Australians or Germans more? Who can say. Yes, some would hide behind the mantra of ‘professionalism’ and say Michael Oliver will just do his job here, but deep down we know he’s probably smarting from that unforgettable 3-1 loss at Upton Park..
43 min: Joegi Loew looking the closest you can call ‘ruffled’ when you’re wearing an immaculate suit and scarf combination. But suffice to say, the German supremo was none too pleased with the defence for that goal.
No immediate lift in tempo from the Germans, but no panic either.
41 min: Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Holger Osieck. Everyone’s favourite former Socceroos coach - no wait that’s Pim Verbeek - everyone’s 2nd favourite former Socceroos coach went on record pre-match suggesting Troisi shouldn’t be in the starting XI; well here he is. Only 4 international goals to his name - given one of these was to win the Asian Cup, it seems the lad’s got the taste for the big occasion.
GET IN. GOAL! Germany 1 - 1 Australia (Troisi)
39 min: kidding me! Great turn from Burns from a throw in - works a terrific cross and it’s James Troisi popping up at the near post with a sharp header.
Game on! We’re in this! No looking back!
Updated
36 min: a sustained patch of pressure here - Jason Davidson hooks clear, but only just wide of his own post! Not exactly what he planned - wouldn’t be like JD to pop up with an own-goal. If memory serve me right he scored two-in-two for his first two showings in the green & gold? But who’s counting.
34 min: some astute insights coming in:
@rrjparkin Socceroos attacks foundering down the right due to the Germans having a Hector protector in place? #GERvAUS #yepIwentthere
— Sayings McSayings (@GreenNGoldMatt) March 25, 2015
Australia will be facing India in the 2nd cricket world cup semi-final later today, but yes, it’s the Germans reaching for the box early on.
32 min: 1 v 1! Leckie’s pace has got him clear again, but is unable to find a way round Zieler in the German goal. Gosh, he really the season 3-4 Alex Brosque of the Socceroos, isn’t he? Pace to burn - always finds the holes - but can he finish? I’ll leave his record to speak to that..
Your thoughts - frustrating or just about to come good? The Matthew Leckie story.
30 min: so a third of the way through, and the Germans beginning to control proceedings. Not a huge surprise that, but the Socceroos haven’t been without chances. Ange Postecoglou wouldn’t be entirely disappointed with this showing, but needs his experienced plays (*cough* Jedinak) to really be showing better control.
28 min: corner for Australia. A nice lofted shot from Jedinak draws a save from Zieler, but the resulting cross is comfortably dealt with.
25 min: Ozil running at the Australian back four - some scrambling defence and the Socceroos survive a rushed final shot. Mat Ryan doing his best pretence of ‘I’ve got no options’ from the goalkick - but secretly, we all know he’s just stalling to settle some nerves.
Updated
22 min: massive letoff! Ye gods. Jedinak with another absolute honker of a pass. Gerrard-esque (for Liverpool fans who love to relive this type of thing). Puts Reus one-on-one with Ryan, drags a disappointing shot wide. A real reprive - it could have been 2-0 and Guten Abend, even this early on.
Updated
20 min: Reus and Goetze starting to pull the strings out wide left for the Germans. Franjic needs some more cover here as he’s consistently finding himself with an overload.
18 min: fire up the chants of ‘Los geht’s Deutschland schiess ein Tur, schiess ein Tur, schiess ein Tur-ur-ur..’ because suddenly the machine is clicking. Goetze finding space wide left - starting to get the impression Australia’s fullbacks are in for an evening here.
Updated
GOAL! Germany 1 - 0 Australia (Reus)
Wow. Well, that lasted. Australia making the most of that reprive. An error from Jedinak sees captain-for-the-day Khedira charging forward - plays a lovely ball off to Reus who finishes with aplomb.
Clinical, calm, collected - eins-null.
Updated
Germany hit the net! OFFSIDE
Marco Reus on the end of a sharp move from Germany - but the linesman correctly rules it offside. Nervous moments for those in green & gold.
13 min: Ooh! And another close change for Australia! Nathan Burns with a headed effort - just wide. How did he find that kind of space on the six-yard box?
Too early to start trotting out the ‘if you don’t take your chances, you stand to get punished..’ cliches.. As I’m not a 65-year-old dour Scottish former player, I’ll leave that kind of thing well alone.
Updated
11 min: It certainly is an interesting looking Germany at this stage - a possible 3-5-2/5-3-2 with wing backs at play; either way they haven’t started gelling with the fluidity that we associate with Die Mannschaft.
A clarification on our German translations here:
@rrjparkin I think "Aufstellung" is German for "imminent total devastation". Obviously they have no concept of Matt McKay's awesome powers.
— Gary The Journo (@garymlord) March 25, 2015
It’s a good point - will Germany know what to do with Matt McKay?
9 min: real chance for Australia! Matthew Leckie finds himself 1v1 out on the left - turns his marker inside out but then drags a tame shot across the goalmouth. Massive opportunity for the Socceroos there.
Updated
6 min: so after a bright first minute or two for Australia, it’s the hosts starting to put their foot on it in the centre of the park. Ryan collects a ball inside his six-yard box and plays a cheeky chip out to Davidson at left back. The German attackers swarm and Australia struggle to get out of their own third.
4 min: first look at the German’s in attack - we mentioned nine changes, but when you’ve got players the calibre of Reus, Oezil, Goetze etc around, you’re still in business.
Some great interplay down the left before Gundogan flashes a sharp right-footed curling effort just half a metre wide of the post. Warning cannons fired.
2 min: it’s a very industrious starting midfield three for the Socceroos. All legs with Jedinak, Milligan and McKay. The latter preferred to Mooy, and very much a favourite of Postecoglou’s. They’ll have some task shackling Khedira and friends though.
1 min: first half-opening, Nathan Burns almost finds a glimmer of space through the middle, Australia winning a corner, before Leckie heads wide.
Pffft! Kick off
And.. we’re under way. Australia start with possession - let’s see how the very much ‘make-shift’ back four do in the face of what will presumably be an aggressive German press.
Both sides taking a moment to commemorate the horrendous Germanwings air tragedy. Certainly a sombre shadow hanging over Kaiserslautern tonight.
Two lines of XI facing off either side of the centre circle. A nice tribute marked.
Updated
I’ll level with you here - I don’t know too much about Jonas Hector or Karim Bellarabi, safe to assume then they’re rubbish, yes?
So, an experimental looking Germany - the local twitterati getting very excited about Joegi’s interesting and bold ‘Aufstellung’. Don’t have the Germ-Aus dictionary to hand, but I’ll go out on a limb and presume that’s ‘formation’.
Can you shed any light on this? Shoot me an email at richard.parkin@theguardian.com, or fire a tweet to @rrjparkin.
I’m watching this in the dank, cold catacombs of the Guardian office in Sydney - can you beat that? Extra points to any far-flung tragics livestreaming this on dialup internet in Ouagadougou or from an island off Reykjavik..
Players are on the pitch and the anthems about to start, fasten those seatbelts.
German coach Joachim Loew has called the first surprises of the morning - he makes NINE changes from the side that won the World Cup. Mind you, such is the depth of German football you could probably field a fourth-string German side and still be a force to be reckoned with. Here are the lineups:
And, here are the Germans:
Preamble
Greetings all.
Whether this finds you bleary-eyed stumbling incoherently out of bed, or incoherently stumbling through the night/morning, or just incoherently stumbling generally - welcome. Richard Parkin here - your humble guide for the next few hours.
Well, Champions of Asia - nothing to sneeze at. And having swept away all in their path in January it makes sense for Australia to travel to the home of the reigning world champions and look to add that notch to their belt, right?
For the confederation that saw all four representatives out in the group stages at last world cup, Australia has the pride of Asia to play for. And in that context nothing says ‘bring on Die Mannshaft’ like waking up to headlines carrying titles like ‘injury-ravaged’ ‘depleted’ ‘threadbare’ to inspire the Socceroos.
No Timmy ‘totemic’ Cahill, both first-choice centre halves Matthew Spiranovic and Trent Sainsbury are missing, and of course the player of the tournament, Massimo Luongo. Throw in the retirement of veteran Mark Bresciano, and well.. look.
That said Kaiserlautern, the venue for today’s match will ring brightly in many people’s memories. The terrific scenes of the 2006 World Cup and the come-from-behind win against Japan; let’s just not mention that the Australia v Italy round of 16 travesty also took place there.
So does tragedy or epic victory await the Socceroos?
Boil your kettle, get your slippers - because in just under 15 minutes we’re about to find out!
Updated
Richard will be here shortly to act as your ears and eyes for the match in Kaiserslautern, but before he gets here, have a read of John Davidson’s interview with man-of-the-moment Mat Ryan. He’s come a long way since he lived in a caravan with Bernie Ibini.
Sometimes before I go to bed or something, I sit there and gather my thoughts and think of what I’m doing. I’m actually playing for the Socceroos, the national team I grew up idolising as a little kid and all you wanted to do and dream about. You probably hear a lot of cliches but for it to be the reality and to do what I do for a living, for everything I’ve achieved along the way, it’s hard to sort of gather your thoughts and take it all in. Life goes on so quickly and with all these games you hardly have time to take it all in.
Read the full interview here.
