Only last month, Jens Lehmann suffered the ignominy of being the first player
to be sent off in a European Cup final. Now he is a national hero.
Germany goalkeeper
Jens Lehmann makes a save from a kick by Argentina's Esteban Cambiasso
during the penalty shootout in their World Cup 2006 quarter-final soccer
match in Berlin June 30, 2006. [Reuters] |
The German goalkeeper saved two Argentina penalties in the shootout at the
end of Friday's World Cup quarter-final in Berlin to send the host nation into
the last four.
It was a high to match the low of being red-carded while playing for his club
Arsenal in the Champions League final after bringing down Barcelona striker
Samuel Eto'o.
But Lehmann kept his emotions in check after Friday's match.
"It's important for us to see how Germany is celebrating. As someone who
doesn't live in Germany at the moment, I love that. I love Germany and how they
celebrate," he said.
"Now we're in the semi-final, I'm going back and I'm going to concentrate on
the next game," Lehmann said.
He made the same brief comments to several groups of reporters but did not
take any questions about his saves or how his feelings compared to those after
his sending off in Paris.
But he did refer to his exploits in getting Arsenal to the final, when he
saved a last-minute penalty from Juan Roman Riquelme to secure victory over
Villarreal of Spain.
"It's not so long ago since I saved a penalty and we got into the final. Now
we're in a semi-final," he said.
Lehmann might have had the chance to repeat the feat against Riquelme on
Friday but the Argentine playmaker was substituted by coach Jose Pekerman before
the end of normal time.
Lehmann's coach and team mates were far more effusive about the goalkeeper's
performance.
"As a former striker, I wouldn't want to face him if I was taking a penalty,"
Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann said.
"He has a feeling for where the penalty-taker is going to shoot. And he
showed that again today. He saved two and that's why we're in the final," said
Klinsmann, who controversially picked Lehmann as his number one ahead of Oliver
Kahn.
"The lads have to pay a massive compliment to Jens for him saving two
penalties," said midfielder Tim Borowski, who scored Germany's fourth spot kick
in the shootout.
