Kroos strike has fans in a frenzy
STUNNER: LATE GOAL SPARES GERMANS EMBARRASSMENT
World champions dug deep to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
Fans danced in the rain in Berlin on Saturday as defending champions Germany avoided an embarrassing World Cup exit with a 2-1 win over Sweden. Thousands of supporters watching on big screens at the Brandenburg Gate huddled nervously under grey clouds and drizzle, before throwing their umbrellas away as Toni Kroos’ late winner saved Germany.
“I’m so, so so happy,” screamed Rasdan Abdullah as the final whistle sounded in Sochi.
“It’s a great feeling,” said Birgit Schlag, who had come to Berlin to see the Rolling Stones in concert the day before.
The rain had just begun to fall in the German capital as Ola Toivonen fired Sweden ahead after 30 minutes, and grey clouds lingered as the crowd sang You’ll Never Walk Alone at half-time.
They breathed a sigh of relief when Marco Reus equalised just after the break.
And when Kroos curled in his stunner in the fifth minute of injury-time, the fans were in ecstasy.
“I said before the game that Reus would score,” said a beaming Dieter Mann, a 60-year-old tour guide with German flags stuck to his head.
“It was the right decision to pick him and drop Mesut Oezil.”
“Defeat for us today was about as likely as England winning the World Cup,” said 37-year-old jobseeker Marcel Kreisel, and fell about laughing.
Having slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat against Mexico in their opening game, Germany had to beat Sweden to avoid elimination and keep alive their dreams of retaining the World Cup.
With Mexico top of Group F after winning their second match on Saturday, Germany play South Korea on Wednesday knowing they must do as well as the Swedes against Mexico if they are to progress to the knockout round.
“A man down! Crazy! Thanks for the comeback and good luck to the national team,” Steffen Seibert, the spokesman of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said on Twitter.
The German media were just as relieved.
“Kroos and Reus rescue our World Cup hopes,” was the headline on Germany’s top-selling daily Bild.
“Blood, sweat and tears. And then came Kroos,” was the headline on national daily Die Welt, while Frankfurt’s FAZ went for “Germany win with a shot of luck”. – AFP