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Germans blame referee for failure
Posted: Saturday September 19, 1998 03:07 PM
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The Germans took issue with Rune Pedersen of Norway after he sent off Christian Woerns in the 40th minute for a foul on Croatian striker Davor Suker Ross Kinnaird/Allsport |
NICE, France
(CNN/SI) -- If you can't beat them, try blaming someone else. At least
that's what the Germany team
has taken to doing.
As the German players began leaving their Cote d'Azure headquarters,
separately and in groups, coach Berti Vogts was still blaming the referee
for Germany's stunning 3-0 loss to Croatia in the
World Cup quarterfinals.
"There have been some very peculiar decisions against the German team.
Maybe there were some instructions. Perhaps the German soccer was too
successful and now had to be punished," Vogts said Sunday about the
refereeing.
"I don't want to talk about the referee, especially not this one," he
added.
Norwegian referee Rune Pedersen of Norway sent off
Germany's best defender Christian Woerns in the 40th minute for a foul on
Croatian striker Davor Suker.
Lothar Matthaeus, the 37-year-old veteran, said FIFA was sometimes
assigning referees to World Cup matches who officiated only "second-rate"
matches at home.
Instead of blaming the referee, the Germans might be better off taking an
honest look at their glaring weaknesses.
The team may have just been too old with an average age of just under 30.
What is more worrying for the three-time World Cup champion is that Vogts
really had no choice: the Bundesliga doesn't offer better players.
The defense was anything but solid. The midfield virtually non-existent.
Even the usually stoically reliable Andy Koepke was below par in the goal.
Juergen Klinsmann and Oliver Bierhoff scored three goals apiece to keep
Germany alive through the early games. They made the best out of their
chances, which were not many. They were the only ones who did their job.
The Germans work soccer, other leading nations play it. Technically, the
Germans are behind other leading nations.
With Klinsmann and possibly up to seven players retiring, the Germans face
an uncertain future. There are few outstanding young players in the
Bundesliga like Michael Owen in England.
Germany will now focus on defending its European title in 2000. But titles
may be out of its reach form some time.
"We'll have to set our standards lower," former star and national team
coach Franz Beckenbauer told German television. "Times will get even
tougher for us."
Vogts said a radical reshuffle will have to follow.
"We need a new beginning, we'll have to make a big cut. We want to defend
our European title in 2000."
"We'll have to sit down and analyze the situation without emotion, in
tranquility," Vogts said.
"I'll be thinking about rebuilding the team without rushing myself, but I
must have the players necessary for that."
Vogts wants to push through a program that would require all Bundesliga
teams to start two German Under-23 players, something he admits will be
hard to do in face of club opposition.
The coach says the influx of foreign players is preventing German talents
from blossoming.
A new-look Germany will start European Championship qualifications October
10 against Turkey.
"Don't be surprised if some players who are not starters in their clubs
are nominated in the national team," Vogts said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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