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Germany, Portugal to take what they can
By Nesha Starcevic, AP Sports Writer
Saturday, July 08, 2006 | No comments posted.
BERLIN - Germany captain Michael Ballack is out, and backup goalkeeper Oliver Kahn is in.
While third place is all that's at stake now, Germany still hopes to give its fans one final World Cup celebration today in its match against Portugal. They'll have to do it without their versatile leader Ballack, who has an inflamed left knee and will miss the game in Stuttgart.
Kahn, meanwhile, gets his first World Cup minutes since the 2002 final, when he was between the posts during Germany's 2-0 loss to Brazil.
“We owe him that gesture and no one in the world is going to begrudge him that,” coach Juergen Klinsmann said Friday.
He will replace Jens Lehmann, who justified Klinsmann's controversial choice to start him with sparkling play throughout the tournament. The coach said Lehmann was consulted and had “zero problem” with the move.
The tournament has been hard for the 37-year-old Kahn, a national hero who was relegated to the bench in favor of Lehmann. Kahn was voted FIFA's outstanding player at the 2002 World Cup, but the tournament ended on a sour note when his blunder led to a Brazil goal.
Defenders Per Mertesacker and Arne Friedrich also will miss the match because of injuries. Mertesacker had surgery on his left heel and Friedrich twisted his knee. Midfielder Tim Borowski left Friday's practice after 20 minutes with a foot injury and is doubtful.
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is also ringing the changes, partly to help motivate his team. He said defender Miguel was out with a knee injury. Center-back Ricardo Carvalho is suspended.
“It's very difficult to motivate the players,” Scolari said Friday. “You're thinking more about what you lost than what you might gain.”
Scolari said Paulo Ferreira would stand in for Miguel at right-back and Ricardo Costa will get his first World Cup appearance. At least two more lineup changes are likely, Scolari said, though he declined to name them.
While the World Cup's third-place playoff game today doesn't carry anything close to the glamour of the final, it brings a chance for Germany and Portugal to take a little bit more prestige out of the tournament.
“It has something, it is a World Cup game,” Klinsmann said. “We want to be third and we are going to give it our best and try to give our fans a good game.”
The German team silenced widespread doubts at home about its chances and gave way to a sense of euphoria after each win.
Scolari, who led his native Brazil to the title four years ago, missed his chance at winning the World Cup with different countries.
“We're proud and happy to be in the best four of the 32 teams that started this tournament,” Scolari said. “It's an historic achievement.”
Portugal, which lost 1-0 to France on Wednesday for its first defeat of the tournament, has one day less than Germany to prepare for Stuttgart. But Germany played for two hours when it lost to Italy in extra time.
- AP Sports Writer Erica Bulman contributed to this story.
While third place is all that's at stake now, Germany still hopes to give its fans one final World Cup celebration today in its match against Portugal. They'll have to do it without their versatile leader Ballack, who has an inflamed left knee and will miss the game in Stuttgart.
Kahn, meanwhile, gets his first World Cup minutes since the 2002 final, when he was between the posts during Germany's 2-0 loss to Brazil.
“We owe him that gesture and no one in the world is going to begrudge him that,” coach Juergen Klinsmann said Friday.
He will replace Jens Lehmann, who justified Klinsmann's controversial choice to start him with sparkling play throughout the tournament. The coach said Lehmann was consulted and had “zero problem” with the move.
The tournament has been hard for the 37-year-old Kahn, a national hero who was relegated to the bench in favor of Lehmann. Kahn was voted FIFA's outstanding player at the 2002 World Cup, but the tournament ended on a sour note when his blunder led to a Brazil goal.
Defenders Per Mertesacker and Arne Friedrich also will miss the match because of injuries. Mertesacker had surgery on his left heel and Friedrich twisted his knee. Midfielder Tim Borowski left Friday's practice after 20 minutes with a foot injury and is doubtful.
Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is also ringing the changes, partly to help motivate his team. He said defender Miguel was out with a knee injury. Center-back Ricardo Carvalho is suspended.
“It's very difficult to motivate the players,” Scolari said Friday. “You're thinking more about what you lost than what you might gain.”
Scolari said Paulo Ferreira would stand in for Miguel at right-back and Ricardo Costa will get his first World Cup appearance. At least two more lineup changes are likely, Scolari said, though he declined to name them.
While the World Cup's third-place playoff game today doesn't carry anything close to the glamour of the final, it brings a chance for Germany and Portugal to take a little bit more prestige out of the tournament.
“It has something, it is a World Cup game,” Klinsmann said. “We want to be third and we are going to give it our best and try to give our fans a good game.”
The German team silenced widespread doubts at home about its chances and gave way to a sense of euphoria after each win.
Scolari, who led his native Brazil to the title four years ago, missed his chance at winning the World Cup with different countries.
“We're proud and happy to be in the best four of the 32 teams that started this tournament,” Scolari said. “It's an historic achievement.”
Portugal, which lost 1-0 to France on Wednesday for its first defeat of the tournament, has one day less than Germany to prepare for Stuttgart. But Germany played for two hours when it lost to Italy in extra time.
- AP Sports Writer Erica Bulman contributed to this story.
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