It could be beginner's luck or a natural flair for the job but for the moment
at least Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann can do no wrong.
Germany coach Juergen
Klinsmann shouts during their World Cup 2006 quarter-final soccer match
against Argentina in Berlin June 30, 2006.
[Reuters] |
His team squeezed into the World Cup semi-finals with a 4-2 victory on
penalties against Argentina on Friday after the match finished 1-1 at the end of
extra time.
Klinsmann, once again, could take immense personal satisfaction from the
result, which takes the hosts through to face Italy in Dortmund on Tuesday.
Klinsmann, who had no coaching experience when he took over in August 2004,
installed Jens Lehmann as goalkeeper after the Arsenal player won a personal
battle with Bayern Munich's Oliver Kahn that got extremely nasty at times.
That decision was vindicated on Friday, as Lehmann saved penalties from
Roberto Ayala and Esteban Cambiasso to send the German fans in the 72,000
Olympiastadion crowd into raptures.
Klinsmann could also be proud of his substitutions.
After 62 minutes, he sent on lightning quick winger David Odonkor to play on
the right, which immediately stopped the dangerous forward runs of Argentina
left back Juan Pablo Sorin.
His second substitute, midfielder Tim Borowski, had a hand in the equaliser.
Germany, who had gone behind to an Ayala header in the 49th minute, were
running out of ideas before Borowski headed on a Michael Ballack cross for
Miroslav Klose to score.
It was all just par for the course for Klinsmann at this World Cup.
The coach had held firm before the first match and decided it was not worth
risking Ballack, even after the captain had declared himself fit. Germany beat
Costa Rica 4-2.
In the second game, Klinsmann brought on Odonkor and Oliver Neuville as late
substitutes against Poland. In the final minute, Odonkor crossed and Neuville
slid in to score the only goal.
Against Ecuador, he kept faith when newspapers called for him to drop
out-of-sorts striker Lukas Podolski and the youngster responded with a goal in a
3-0 win. In the second round against Sweden, Podolski got two more.
There was one more telling moment on Friday.
Before the start of the shootout against Argentina, Kahn and Lehmann smiled,
embraced and shared a long handshake.
"I saw that and I can tell you it wasn't a surprise to me," Klinsmann told
reporters. "Oliver contributes so much to this team. We all root for each
other."
If Klinsmann has succeeded in making Kahn and Lehmann friends, anything
really is possible as they contemplate a semi-final against Italy in Dortmund on
Tuesday.
