German Goal Rush Stuns Saudis
June 3, 2002
Germany exploited the Saudi defence with pinpoint crossing, heading in five of their eight goals en route to a 8-0 record route of Saudi Arabia in their opening match of the 2002 World Cup.
The German offense got opportunity after opportunity throughout the match, often on long passes that were deftly woven through the porous Saudi defense. Striker Miroslav Klose, added to the team following a spate of injuries to German starters in qualifying games, scored three goals in his World Cup debut, all of them on headers.
The result was a promising one for the German side, plagued with doubt following injuries and a rough qualifying road to the World Cup.
The German forwards were not to be stopped, getting chances within the first two minutes of the game and keeping the pressure on the Saudi side throughout.
Germany’s victory was evidence of the team’s size advantage in the match. The physical presence of German defenders Ramelow and Linke proved too much for the smaller Saudi strikers Al Yami and Al Jaber, keeping both quiet throughout the match by stopping chances before they could be properly created. Goal keeper Oliver Kahn had a quiet match handling only two shots on goal.
Busy night for Saudi Goalie
His counterpart must have wished for such a statistic. The German offense fired 25 shots on goal. Most of the team’s goals came off beautiful flank passes, including two from star Michael Ballack, who headed in a goal of his own.
Germany lead 4-0 at the half on Klose’s two goals, a score by striker Carsten Jancker (photo) and Ballack. Though slow in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, Germany quickly turned it on again.
Klose took a cross from Schneider and bounced it past goalie Al Deayea for a 5-0 lead. Three minutes later, in the 72nd minute, defender Linke came in on a corner kick and headed a nice ball passed Al Deayea into the upper right corner of the net.
Bierhoff and Schneider rounded out the scoring in the 83rd and 92nd minute respectively. Schneider scored his on a beautiful curving free kick into the upper right corrner of the net.
The win follows a 1-1 draw between Ireland and Cameroon in the other Group E match and means the German team stands alone atop the standings following the first game.