Soccer: Defensive line that breaks strikers' hearts

SEOUL - Germany coach Rudi Voeller thought his defence might be their Achilles' heel before the tournament kicked off, but they have ended up matching a World Cup record for meanness.

Voeller had lost his two most valued defenders, Jens Nowotny and Christian Woerns, through injuries in the build-up to the finals, and was clearly worried that his side might leak goals.

But they have conceded only one in six matches en route to the big game, a feat achieved previously only by the Netherlands before they lost 2-1 to West Germany in the 1974 final.

"Almost the entire defence went missing and I had to experiment a bit," said Voeller, who also had problems with regular defender Marko Rehmer, far from his best after fighting injuries. "I took a few risks, but it worked out well and the players I chose did what I expected them to."

Captain Oliver Kahn, arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, was essential to that achievement with brilliant saves, but his defenders, none of whom appear in the 33-strong shortlist for Fifa's all-star side, deserve a lot of credit.

Dedicated workers with few frills, they provide a symbol for the virtues that helped Germany recapture their winning ways.

Christoph Metzelder, the youngest player in the squad at 21, started all Germany's matches at the back, confirming he had the potential to become the latest in a proud series of great German defenders featuring Franz Beckenbauer, Berti Vogts, Juergen Kohler and Matthias Sammer.

Veteran Thomas Linke, who is often underrated by observers, also became an automatic starter and offered faultless performances.

Carsten Ramelow ran the defence in most games, taking over Nowotny's role, while the 22-year-old Sebastian Kehl also played his part.

Voeller relied most of the time on a back-three formation with Metzelder, Ramelow and Linke, successfully switching to a flat back-four on two occasions.

He did it first for the second half of the decisive group game against Cameroon, for which Germany were reduced to 10 men after Ramelow's sending-off. It worked, with Cameroon hardly creating an opportunity and Germany scoring twice for a 2-0 win.

The same strategy paid off for the second half of Wednesday's 1-0 semifinal win over South Korea, when Voeller introduced an extra defender to counter bold opponents playing with three men up front.

"You have to be flexible in today's football," Voeller said of his defensive options.

In Voeller's preferred 3-5-2 system, three midfielders contribute heavily to the defensive duties. Torsten Frings on the right side, Dietmar Hamann at the centre and Christian Ziege or Marco Bode at the left kept supporting the back three.

Germany started their campaign with a record-breaking 8-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia, but the goals dried out after that and the defence became vital.

A 1-1 draw against Ireland - the only team to score against Germany so far - was followed by the 2-0 victory over Cameroon. The knockout matches against Paraguay, the United States and South Korea were all laboured 1-0 affairs.

"In our warm-up games we scored plenty of goals, but sometimes we were not disciplined enough at the back," Linke said.

"We knew that was something we had to work on. In our first match against Saudi Arabia we played an attacking game, but after that we concentrated on trying not to concede any goals."

Linke said the formula, which proved efficient if not spectacular, required a collective effort from the entire side.

"It's not only the defenders," he said. "Every player contributes to the defensive work from the position he's in."

Linke said earlier in the tournament that there was a 99 per cent chance he might retire from international football after the World Cup.

But the 32-year-old Bayern Munich player is having so much fun playing in the German defence that he might change his mind.

"I might still be around for a couple of years. It's 50-50 now."

- REUTERS

nzherald.co.nz/fifaworldcup

Groups and team lists
Stars
Schedule
Points tables
Previous winners and key statistics

Interactive graphics:
Groups and team profiles