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Long time coming England ends 34-year drought vs. Germany
Posted: Sunday June 18, 2000 11:20 AM
CHARLEROI, Belgium (AP) -- Alan Shearer headed England to its first championship victory over Germany since the 1966 World Cup final on Saturday and put the defending titlist Germans in danger of going out in the first round of the European Championship. Shearer powered in a far post header from David Beckham's cross in the 53rd minute to revive England's chances of qualifying for the quarterfinal and spark celebrations not only in the stadium but in millions of homes back in England. The result ended Germany's amazing domination over England in major championships in the past 34 years. The Germans had knocked the English out of the 1970 and 1990 World Cups and the 1996 Euros either in the quarters or the semis, and twice after penalty shootouts. "People back home have waited so long -- so have I -- this is magnificent," coach Kevin Keegan said. "I was only a kid the last time we beat them." "The character came through. It might carry us a long way through this tournament if we just believe in ourselves. I'm delighted for the fans."
Commenting on Shearer, who came under pressure after not scoring in his past seven games for England, Keegan said: "He's answered his critics again. The fans love him but the critics don't. I just think he's the best at what he does and he's done it again tonight." Keegan, who played for several seasons for German club Hamburg after leaving Liverpool in the late 1970s, noted he was 12 years old when England last beat Germany in a championship. "The dream lives on," he said. "It was a real man's game. It wasn't the best technical quality. It called for spirit and commitment, to stand up and be counted. They did that." The Germans created plenty of shooting chances but couldn't get the ball past David Seaman in the England goal. Instead, Michael Owen had a first-half header pushed onto the post by German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. The victory gives England three points from two games, three behind Group A leader Portugal. The Germans, who tied 1-1 with Romania, have only one and must beat the Portuguese to survive. A draw with Romania would send England through. Veteran German defender Lothar Matthäus, who almost quit to return to his New York club after pressure on him to step down at age 39, said the Germans paid the price for not making a breakthrough in the first half. "We could not force our way through in the second half," he said. "England capitalized on its chance; that is the difference. Now we have to do our utmost to make as much as possible of our limited chances to go through." German coach Erich Ribbeck said one piece of defensive slackness cost them the game. "We didn't deserve to lose. We were better in the first half," the under-fire coach said. "They scored and we didn't convert the chances we had in the second half. A little bit of inattention cost us the game. "We used to dominate [England] also because we had luck. Today we didn't have it," Ribbeck said. "This time it was the English who scored. We had three great chances and didn't. We are very disappointed. "We still have a minimal chance so we will do everything to get it." The game was played against a background of fan violence during the buildup, and English fans also attacked the police on their way out of the stadium. Some 500 English fans were detained and most of them deported for rioting in downtown Brussels on the eve of the game, as well as in Charleroi. Police also fired water cannons at English and German followers who began fighting in Charleroi's main square on the afternoon of the game. The Germans were forced to face the English without AC Milan striker Oliver Bierhoff, who suffered a calf muscle injury in training, while Real Madrid's Steve McManaman and Arsenal captain Tony Adams were sidelined for England after picking up injuries in the 3-2 loss to Portugal. Neither side was able to play in its traditional colors of white shirts, so both changed -- the Germans wearing dark green and the English with red shirts and white shorts. On a warm, sunny evening before a noisy crowd at the Stade du Pays de Charleroi, neither team troubled the goalkeeper until the 18th minute when Dietmar Hamann, who plays in England for Liverpool, fired an angled 20-meter (yard) drive that goalkeeper David Seaman clutched at the foot of the far post. With England unable to piece together any meaningful moves in the opening, Keegan's team finally came up with something to worry German captain Oliver Kahn. Philip Neville found Michael Owen with a left wing cross, and the striker's header was pushed onto the left post by Kahn. Sadly for England, no one was following up to turn in the rebound and the Germans escaped. After two yellow cards in a minute for England's David Beckham and Germany's Jens Jeremies, the English created another opening when Beckham's superbly weighted ball found Manchester United colleague Paul Scholes unmarked just inside the area, but the left foot shot was blocked by Kahn. Ziege fired a 20-meter free kick just too high at the start of the second half before England took the lead in the 53rd minute. Beckham fired in a well-weighted free kick that flashed past Owen, Scholes and their two markers on the bounce and Shearer, left unmarked wide of the far post, planted a powerful header across the goal and past the unprotected Kahn to spark celebrations among the English fans. The Germans almost leveled within a minute when Carsten Jancker neatly collected a cross from the right, and turned to fire a close range shot just too high from a tight angle. Then Mehmet Scholl took a deep pass and broke clear of the defense only for his shot to beat Seaman but roll just past the far post. England sent on 20-year-old midfielder Steven Gerrard for his Liverpool colleague Owen in the 61st minute and pushed Scholes into a forward position. But the Germans continued to create chances and, after goalkeeper Seaman had blocked a shot from Ulf Kirsten with his feet, the ball rolled clear to Jancker who shot wide from only 10 meters out. Lineups: England - David Seaman; Gary Neville, Sol Campbell, Martin Keown, Phillip Neville; David Beckham, Paul Scholes (Nick Barmby 72nd), Paul Ince, Dennis Wise; Alan Shearer, Michael Owen (Steven Gerrard 61st). Germany - Oliver Kahn; Markus Babbel, Lothar Matthaus, Jens Nowotny; Dieter Hamann, Jens Jeremies (Marco Bode 78th), Sebastian Deisler (Michael Ballack 72nd), Mehmet Scholl, Christian Ziege; Ulf Kirsten (Paolo Rink 70th, Carsten Jancker. Referee - Pierluigi Collina, Italy.
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