Kroos to rescue as Germany ride luck
Stunning injury time free-kick keeps the worried holders alive
FOR a short time, just over half an hour including the half-time interval, Germany were on their way out of the World Cup. For much longer they were in deep trouble, teetering on the brink.
Then, in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time and down to 10 men, up stepped Toni Kroos to send a free-kick from wide on the left swerving past the dive of Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
Germany breathed again and the crisis washed away.
They had trailed to a goal from Ola Toivonen — it might have been more — and their ruthless efficiency had vanished, replaced by reckless abandon. Just as against Mexico in Moscow, the surprise 1-0 defeat which triggered a rare crisis amid German ranks and fuelled the curse of the champions.
This century, Spain, Italy and France have all failed to make it through the group stage when defending the title.
Marco Reus equalised early in the second half and Germany gave everything in search of a second goal. Sweden defended well but eventually their luck ran out.
To make matters worse f or Joachim Low’s team, defender Jerome Boateng was sent off for a second yellow card after the intervention of the video assistant referee on 82 minutes.
Timo Werner skied a good late chance and Olsen turned over a header by Mario Gomez with a fine reflex save. Julian Brandt struck a post with a sweet left- footer in added time and Werner could not turn the rebound on target.
Then Kroos struck and Germany erupted in euphoria.
When Low had spoken of trust and confidence on the eve of the game, he did not sound like a manager set to tear up his team to satisfy his critics but there were four changes. Among them Mesut Ozil, always the subject of so much debate when Germany lose, a familiar story for anyone who has followed his career at Arsenal.
Sami Khedira was also out as Low injected pace into the team with Reus taking Ozil’s place and Sebastian Rudy called into midfield to partner Kroos.
Toni Rudiger replaced Mats Hummels, who had a neck problem, Jonas Hector returned at left back and Germany came roaring out like a team with a point to prove.
Full-backs were pushed forward and the tempo turned to breathless as early attempts by Julian Draxler and Hector were blocked and the Swedes scrambled around, deep in their own penalty area, making desperate blocks and hurried clearances.
Sweden were without centre-half Pontus Jansson, one of three players struggling with sickness ahead of the game, but they survived the early storm and, just like Mexico, caused big problems for the holders on the break.
Germany were f ort unate to escape what looked like a penalty when Boateng barged into Marcus Berg as he prepared to shoot. The clumsy challenge looked like a foul at the time, and it looked like a foul on television no matter how much it was slowed down and replayed.
The Swedes went berserk when it became clear Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was not going to award a penalty.
Even as Germany carried the ball down the other end of the pitch, the game existed in a state of suspended animation as 50,000 spectators waited for an intervention from the overseeing officials. That did not come either, another question for the VAR system to consider, but the incident knocked Germany’s confidence and they lost their rhythm.
Then they lost Rudy, accidentally kicked in the face by Toivonen and forced off as the medics tried to stem the blood gushing from his b busted td nose. It was th then Sweden S d took the lead, another wonderful move slicing through the white shirts on the turnover when Kroos lost the ball cheaply in midfield.
Viktor Claesson picked out Toivonen and the splendid pass was matched by the finish, lobbed over Manuel Neuer from an angle while under pressure. This time the Swedes celebrated. Rudy was unable to continue and was replaced by Ilkay Gundogan, who made an instant impression with a long-range effort which took a deflection and forced a brilliant save from Olsen. The goalkeeper and Mikael Lustig combined to prevent Thomas Muller from bundling the rebound into the net.
Still, the Germans wobbled at the back. Claesson’s touch let him down in front of goal and Neuer took off to his right to reach a flashing header by Berg from Sebastian Larsson’s expert free-kick delivery.
Low sent on Mario Gomez to replace Draxler at half-time and his team started the second half as they started the first.
This time, however, they found the net. Werner’s low cross from the left evaded Gomez at the near post and Reus arrived to turn it past Olsen, despite a scruffy contact off his left knee.