Germany 1 - Portugal 0: Gomez Fires Germany Ahead

Although their performance left much to desire, the mighty Germans managed to take three points in their Group of Death opener as they defeated Portugal 1-0.  With Jose Mourinho looking on from the stands, one can only wonder how different the Portuguese strategy would be with the ‘Special One’ in command.  From the opening whistle, the Germans attacked.  Foreshadowing later events, they threatened to take the lead in the second minute after a great header by Mario Gomez off of a Jerome Boateng cross. 

The Germans dictated the tempo throughout the rest of the half, but the Portuguese waited to pounce.   They produced numerous counter-attacks that nearly put them in the lead.  However, the German defense led by Mats Hummels and their keeper, Manuel Neuer, kept the score level.  One of these attacks led to a Cristiano Ronaldo highlight reel in the 18^th minute as he produced numerous step-overs.  However, Boateng did not dive in and prevented Ronaldo’s cross from reaching the middle. 

Though the Germans produced numerous opportunities in the first half, they did not capitalize.  The majority of their efforts were not on target.  Often, they had a difficult time breaking down the Portuguese defense as they played at a slower tempo than usual under manager, Joachim Loew.  Just before the half, Pepe nearly fired the Portuguese into the lead when he smashed a rebound into the post that bounced off the goal line before being cleared.  With a scoreless tie at the half, it was either team’s game to win.  Though the Germans had more possession, the Portuguese showed they were plenty capable of defeating the group favorite.

The second half opened with a bang as the fast paced German attack returned.  Whatever Loew told them in the locker room worked because they played with significantly more urgency.  The Germans were rewarded as they took the lead in the 73^rd minute when Gomez headed in a deflected cross from Sami Khedira. 

Gomez’s goal opened the game up as the Portuguese took more chances.  They had the Germans on their heels as they had a golden chance to get the equalizer in the 89^th minute, but Neuer robbed Varela.  Their final opportunity to tie the game failed as they headed the ball over the net.  The Portuguese showed their quality, but walk away without a point in the daunting Group of Death.  

While the Germans earned a hard fought victory, they need to do some things differently if they are to lift the trophy.  They must play with more urgency and pick up the tempo from the outset.   When they applied high defensive pressure and attacked at full speed they looked incredible.  However, they often slowed the game down, which allowed the Portuguese to re-organize.  They did not look as sharp as usual. Attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil must make a bigger impact.  He disappeared during several stints. 

In addition, I thought Sami Khedira had a very poor game.  He gave the ball away on numerous occasions that broke up several German attacks.  He took several shots that appeared as if he aimed for the fans in the stands.  Furthermore, while he may receive credit for crossing the game-winning ball, he was fortunate that it was deflected or it would have landed nowhere near Gomez.  One can argue that Khedira prevents the German attack from reaching its potential.  If Loew replaced Khedira with Mario Gotze the German attack may reach another level, while Bastian Schweinsteiger could pick up the defensive slack.

Schweinsteiger was a pleasure to watch.  He is a machine that constantly moves off of the ball.  He presents his teammates with distribution options, creates scoring opportunities, wins 50/50 balls, and gets back on defense. 

While it was a surprise to see Mario Gomez starting over Miroslav Klose, Gomez vindicated Loew.  Loew took a big risk by benching the productive Klose, but was rewarded as Gomez turned his one of his best performances for Die Mannschaft. Gomez’s presence was felt throughout the game.  He put several shots on goal, and held the ball up well for the German attack.  He did not put himself into unwinnable situations.  Undoubtedly, his game-winning goal will provide plenty of confidence as they go forward.

Thomas Muller’s performance was average.  He provided a few good crosses but was absent during several periods. Meanwhile, Lukas Podolski put himself into position to score several goals, but could not put one on target. 

Defensively, the Germans allowed several opportunities, but they got the job done.  Mats Hummels stood out as he broke up numerous Portuguese threats.  In addition, Jerome Boateng did a fantastic job of shutting down Cristiano Ronaldo for the majority of the game.  Ronaldo was their biggest threat and he stepped up to the challenge.

I expect a much sharper German team when they meet the Dutch on Wednesday in what has the makings of a classic.  The Dutch are desperate for a victory and should come out firing on all cylinders.  If the Germans survive the initial onslaught their odds of winning increase exponentially.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese have nothing to hang their heads for.  They fought hard and played admirably.  They showed that they have plenty of talent and the potential to advance deep in the tournament.  They will have a much easier time against the Dutch and Danish defense.  Cristiano Ronaldo must make a larger impact on the game, although he needs someone else to pick up the slack.  He cannot do everything by himself.  The twenty-year old Nelson Oliveira is an exciting player, and hopefully he will get on the field from the start of the game.  Fabio Contrao stood out as well.  The Portuguese face elimination on Wednesday against the Danes.  They will be favored, but so were the Dutch, so they must remain cautious.

By Jeff Graceffo