Austria 0-1 Germany

I watched this one from home.

I’m also unable to watch tomorrow night’s do-or-die between the World Cup Finalists, but didn’t particularly want to leave a gaping hole in my blog in doing so. Nonetheless, I’ll keep it brief.

Germany. Hmm. Two games running they haven’t looked particularly good. Austria were downright lame for most of the game and yet still caused several problems, including failing to get a pretty obvious penalty on the grounds that they didn’t appeal for one. It’s not bloody cricket – fortunately. Can you imagine if they borrowed that ruling from cricket – a ref can only give a decision if there is an appeal? Oh wait…

Quite how I missed Philip Lahm out of my “team of the tourney” so far remains as much of a mystery to me as it does to anyone else who read that team and thought “Bronckhurst/Ramos WTF lolz”. He is probably the best full-back in Europe, and even though he looks like a midget amongst the rest of the Land of the Giants that is the German side, he’s a sturdy fella at the back and wins plenty in the air.

I feel like we’re being treated in this tournament. We’ve had last night’s epic, a terrific messabout in ridiculous rain, some belting goals (Ballack’s being the latest), genuine upsets, spikey red-card incidents, and now even a blatant clip round the ear for Lukas Podolski. And on the evidence of German bumbling, we may have a relative newcomer to the crown of Champions, after all – Portugal, Spain or Croatia are looking promising.

And yet… I can’t help but feel that this is all going to some kind of sadistic German plan. Spain and Holland are burning themselves out too early with their star players firing on all cylinders, while the well-oiled German machine calmly minds the speed limit and bumbles along in first gear, doing just enough. They are going to win this, aren’t they?

Oliver Neuville is still playing football! And he still looks like a rat in human form. I never thought he’d look uglier than his England 5-1 Germany days, but with the bald spot, he’s managed it. Played son.

See you in a couple of days.