Germany, Chile to semis at Confed Cup
SOCHI, Russia — World champion Germany reached the Confederations Cup semifinals on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over a Cameroon side reduced to 10 men after further confusion with experimental video replays.
Germany was leading through Kerem Demirbay’s 48th-minute strike when a case of mistaken identity halfway through the second half that replays were meant to eradicate left the African champions bemused and irritated. Sebastien Siani was dismissed for a foul challenge on Emre Can after referee Wilmar Roldan inspected a pitchside monitor.
It took furious protests from the Cameroon players, including Siani sarcastically applauding Roldan, for the Colombian to check the monitor again and discover he had sent off the wrong player. Siani was called back on and Ernest Mabouka was correctly sent off.
Germany extended its lead two minutes after the red card courtesy of a diving header from Timo Werner. There were flickers of a comeback by Cameroon when Vincent Aboubakar’s flicked header slipped through Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s raised hands. But Werner netted again in the 81st minute to secure a 100th victory for Joachim Loew in his 150th match in charge of Germany.
By securing top spot in Group B of the World Cup warm-up tournament, the inexperienced Germany squad playing without many of its 2014 World Cup winners will now stay in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and play Mexico on Thursday.
The other semifinal on Wednesday sees Portugal play Chile, which finished second in Group B after drawing 1-1 with Australia in Sunday’s other game.
The Australians took the lead in the 42nd minute when James Troisi delicately chipped the ball in after a pass from Robbie Kruse, and then went in pursuit of a second goal that could have seen them qualify at Chile’s expense.
Roared on by thousands of travelling fans, Chile held on and hit back in the 67th when Eduardo Vargas flicked the ball on for substitute Martin Rodriguez to hit it past goalkeeper Maty Ryan.