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German defence lines attempt a new record

There's no going behind German lines at this World Cup. Thanks largely to dominating keeper Oliver Kahn the Germans, who reached their seventh final with Tuesday's 1-0 win over South Korea, have conceded just one goal in six games in the tournament while scoring 14. And that means Rudi Völler's team boasts the best defence of any finalist since Johan Cruyff's Holland played six matches for the loss of one goal on the way to the 1974 final. Curiously the Dutch also scored 14 goals, but then lost 2-1 to West Germany in the title match.

More striking, is that the German defence which arrived at the tournament for "Die Mannschaft" bears little resemblance to the one which was supposed to play the competition. That's because pre-tournament injuries to Jens Nowotny and Christian Wörns ensured the heart was ripped out of the back four before the team left home.

Now, in yet another triumph of German discipline and efficiency, Völler's side have made it to Sunday's showdown against Brazil in Yokohama. Nowotny was supposed to be the centrepiece of the German defensive challenge - Kahn aside - but instead a 21-year-old rookie such as Christoph Metzelder, as well as a rejuvenated Carsten Ramelow, Thomas Linke and Torsten Frings have come to the rescue.

The only breach they have allowed so far came in injury time in the group game against Ireland when Robbie Keane succeeded in breaking through the middle to squeeze a shot past Kahn for an unlikely equaliser. But since then, the German rearguard has been imperious keeping a clean sheet through Paraguay, the United States and South Korea, while a stuttering attack has managed to score a winning goal per game. created by tok


There's no going behind German lines at this World Cup. Thanks largely to dominating keeper Oliver Kahn the Germans, who reached their seventh final with Tuesday's 1-0 win over South Korea, have conceded just one goal in six games in the tournament while scoring 14. And that means Rudi Völler's team boasts the best defence of any finalist since Johan Cruyff's Holland played six matches for the loss of one goal on the way to the 1974 final. Curiously the Dutch also scored 14 goals, but then lost 2-1 to West Germany in the title match.



More striking, is that the German defence which arrived at the tournament for "Die Mannschaft" bears little resemblance to the one which was supposed to play the competition. That's because pre-tournament injuries to Jens Nowotny and
Christian Wörns ensured the heart was ripped out of the back four before the team left home.



Now, in yet another triumph of German discipline and efficiency, Völler's side have made it to Sunday's showdown against Brazil in Yokohama. Nowotny was supposed to be the centrepiece of the German defensive challenge - Kahn aside - but instead a 21-year-old rookie such as Christoph Metzelder, as well as a rejuvenated Carsten Ramelow, Thomas Linke and Torsten Frings have come to the rescue.



The only breach they have allowed so far came in injury time in the group game against Ireland when Robbie Keane succeeded in breaking through the middle to squeeze a shot past Kahn for an unlikely equaliser. But since then, the German rearguard has been imperious keeping a clean sheet through Paraguay, the United States and South Korea, while a stuttering attack has managed to score a winning goal per
game.