PLUCKY LIONS LACK BITE
Veteran Podolski bows out with winner after England miss chances
LONG after the boys singing their silly war songs had left the stadium, a true german hero continued his lap of honour. The corner of Dortmund’s arena devoted to England fans and their jibes about german bombers was now deserted. only the locals were left, and the man they had come to salute. Lukas Josef Podolski.
Born in Gilwice, Poland, raised in germany from the age of two, he had played his final game for his adopted country. And what a game it had been.
By the end, the banner raised in his honour before the match was out of date. It had listed his appearances accurately, 130, but gave his goal total as 48. not any more. Podolski’s final act of significance in the national shirt was an absolute scorcher of a match-winner from almost 30 yards, the only goal of the night.
That he separated the two teams is testament to his drive, and symbolic in what it told of the german mentality. There is a reason why they win World Cups — plural — and perhaps England do not, and it was there in Podolski’s determination to go out with a flourish.
He didn’t have a good game and neither, frankly, did germany. But he lived up to his status as the man of the hour, he said farewell the way a great player should and he ensured his final match was not some glorified testimonial, easily forgotten.
In doing so, he condemned England to their first defeat under gareth Southgate and underlined a weakness in front of goal that has to be addressed if this group are to achieve genuine progress.
England should have won this. They had the chances and did not take them. Podolski got a sniff, a half- sight of goal, and took the game.
JOE HART tried his best to prevent this, but the ball was already in the net. Hart was battling not just one of germany’s great goalscorers, but the hand of fate, it seemed. Just about everyone wanted a Podolski winner and while little can be read into a friendly as tepid as this, when it came it seemed to sum up why he will retire with the World Cup winners’ medal that has eluded generation after generation of talented Englishmen. The players who have endured that famous hurt since 1966 simply do not self-determine like the germans.
Podolski is only 31, young to be bowing out, but at least it means he still has many of his powers. Anonymous, largely, until the 69th minute, he took the chance of a grand finale like a goalscorer at his absolute peak.
The ball was fed through to him in the centre of the pitch, but within range. It wasn’t the distance from which many of the previous 48 would have been scored but he had sight of the target. That was all it took. He let rip and the ball just flew in, as if guided by hand. Hart dived full length but had no chance. It was the perfect, sweetest moment, the Dortmund crowd rising as a joyous whole in salute.
They did so again after 83 minutes when Joachim Low took him off, accompanied by dramatic music, as if choreographed by reality television screen writers. And one last time as he began what seemed the longest lap of honour in football’s history.
There were more than 60,000 here and it seemed he was determined to thank them all personally. What a way to go. How different from the send- offs England players receive. Jeered into international retirement, many of them.
That’s the difference success makes. As England manager Southgate will know, having overseen strong performances in two matches against elite European opposition — Spain, then germany — and come away with a victory in neither.
England should have won this, even if germany were much improved after half-time. They had the best chances, forced saves from Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and adapted well to an unfamiliar system. But the frailty in front of goal proved costly. England should have been clear before Podolski scored.
Ter Stegen made two very good saves, a couple of straightforward ones, and was saved by the post after 30 minutes. Jamie Vardy signalled England’s intention after seven minutes when he seized on a through pass from Dele Alli and knocked the ball past ter Stegen, making sure he fell over the advancing goalkeeper as he did.
Fortunately, referee Damir Skomina, of Slovenia, wasn’t born yesterday so saw Vardy’s manoeuvre for what it was and waved play on. From the resulting corner, the ball ran to Michel Keane, who put it over, squandering the opportunity for a dream start on his debut.
The chance of the first half fell for Adam Lallana on 30 minutes, winning the ball on the left near the halfway line and motoring towards goal. Vardy was in a decent spot in the middle but Lallana decided to go it alone, shooting low across ter Stegen but hitting the foot of the post. It was a finish that required a little more conviction. Just before half-time, Alli spurned a huge opportunity when Vardy played him in on the right overlap with only ter Stegen to beat. He shot straight at him.
Alli had a shot blocked at the far post after 59 minutes and Eric Di Dier forced another good save from ter Stegen, but England will have to take heart from the performance, not the result. They will not take heart from many results against the best teams, unless they learn to close a game out.
Still, there were positives. England players tend to react to the deployment of three at the back much as Superman would to a kick up the wotsits from a kryptonite hobnail boot, but the manager went with one anyway — Chris Smalling at its heart, flanked by gary Cahill and Keane, the first Burnley outfield player to win an England cap since Martin Dobson in 1974.
Ahead in midfield was Jake Livermore, another milestone selection, being West Bromwich Albion’s first outfield England
international since Steve Hunt in 1984. There was, of course, sports science at the heart of the philosophy, Southgate protecting those players who are considered to have had a more demanding season, but this was far from the worst display.
It helped that Germany were a mish-mash of choices, too, and stronger opposition may have exploited the newness of the system.
Going down by a lone goal was, in the circumstances, no big deal. But it may be, one day, unless England learn to be more German in front of goal.