'Germany knew exactly what to do'

TSG analysis by Andy ROXBURGH (SCO)

Germany fully deserved their victory. They completely dominated the game from start to finish and the three-goal margin did not flatter them in the slightest. They knew what to do with the ball and how to play, and were tactically superior.

The hosts’ superiority was clear to see in two areas in particular. Firstly, their work down the flanks was outstanding. At their training session yesterday I could see Jurgen Klinsmann was working hard on getting players to overlap down the wings and put in crosses. His team did that perfectly today. They also linked up superbly in midfield, where Michael Ballack controlled the game throughout.

The Germans also made their physical strength count and pressurised their opponents from the kick-off. They knew exactly what they wanted and they found it straight away. Strangely it was Ecuador who dominated possession, but Germany struck quickly on the counterattack. In fact, their last two goals came after they won the ball and broke down the field at speed.
As for Ecuador, although they were without five first-team players, they did not play as well as expected. They barely created any danger and were reduced to long-range shots and diagonal crosses into the box. There is no doubt the right team won.

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