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 Somebody pulls Loddar's strings! | Yikes, what a bore!!! This has to be the big YAWN of the tournament, so far. The only thing that kept me watching, was that I could not believe how poorly the Germans were playing. Everybody had been fully aware that the Germans were not going to be their usual "force" in this tournament - but, really, these were pathetic!!! Why does Lothar Matthaus play; anybody know? What hold does he have over people? I would have been of more benefit to the Germans, had they planted me just in front of their backs (without informing them that I was incapable of defending; hardly capable of moving in actual fact!! :)) It *could* have been exciting, just to see how many goals the Romanians *could* have scored past the Gers, had they shown an ounce of capability in the attacking line-up. Moldovan scored on 5 minutes. OK. Good cross from Ilie, thanks to atrociously bad marking from Linke. But, even this shot was lucky to find the top of the net, so floppy was it. Moldovan continued to squander chance after chance throughout the game. Ilie did little. Although he did enough to win the Romanians a penalty, halfway through the first half, when he was most definitely tripped in the area. Pity then that Mr Nielsen didn't see it like that! Scholl's shot for the equaliser was a good 'un for sure - but it really should've been saved. Stelea appeared to be in some dream-like trance (although some say he was unsighted by one of his defenders). 1-1 in the end, seemed a fair score. The Germans had played the worst football they had ever played - probably - but the Romanians had been incapable of capitalising on it, so deserved nothing. Portugal and England should both easily qualify out of this group, imo. |
 Jeremies' new haircut reveals more of his face! |
Teams and things
GERMANY (3-5-2): 1 O Kahn (Bayern Munich) - 4 T Linke (Bayern Munich; sub: 3 M Rehmer, Hertha Berlin, 46min), 10 L Matthäus (NY/NJ MetroStars; sub: 18 S Deisler, 1860 Munich, 76), 6 J Nowotny (Bayer Leverkusen) - 2 M Babbel (Bayern Munich), 7 M Scholl (Bayern Munich), 16 J Jeremies (Bayern Munich), 8 T Hassler (1860 Munich; sub: 14 D Hamann, Liverpool, 72), 17 C Ziege (Middlesbrough) - 20 O Bierhoff (Internazionale), 11 P Rink (Bayer Leverkusen). Substitutes not used: 12 J Lehmann (Borussia Dortmund), 22 H-J Butt (SV Hamburg), 5 M Bode (Werder Bremen), 9 U Kirsten (Bayer Leverkusen), 13 M Ballack (Bayer Leverkusen), 15 D Wosz (Hertha Berlin), 19 C Jancker (Bayern Munich), 21 C Ramelow (Bayer Leverkusen).
ROMANIA (3-4- 1-2): 12 B Stelea (Salamanca) - 3 L Ciobotariu (Standard Ličge), 6 G Popescu (Galatasaray), 4 I Filipescu (Real Betis) - 2 D Petrescu (Chelsea; sub: 22 C Contra, Alaves, 68), 5 C Galca (Espaņol), 8 D Munteanu (VfL Wolfsburg), 13 C Chivu (Ajax) - 10 G Hagi (Galatasaray; sub: 7 A Mutu, Internazionale, 72) - 11 A Ilie (Valencia), 9 V Moldovan (Fenerbahįe; sub: 15 I Lupescu, Dynamo Bucharest, 84). Substitutes not used: 1 B Lobont (Rapid Bucharest), 21 F Prunea (Universitatea Craiova), 14 F Petre (Dynamo Bucharest), 16 L Rosu (Steaua Bucharest), 17 M Belodedici (Steaua Bucharest), 18 I Ganea (Universitatea Craiova), 19 E Lincar (Steaua Bucharest), 20 C Haldan (Dynamo Bucharest). Booked: Hagi, Ilie.
Referee: K Milton Nielsen (Denmark).
