Quick Ramblings on the Germany-Serbia Match

Serbia was desperate for three points in this match, as a loss or a tie would mean qualification for the next round would be completely taken out of their hands. Germany, on the other hand, was trying to prove that it is blow-out of Australia was no fluke.

The match started with Serbia making a bright start. Milos Krasic established his presence on the right wing, where he would be fantastic throughout the match. But the Germans quickly settled down and back and forth affair ensued.

The match changed when referee Alberto Undiano decided to send Miroslav Klose off for an inconspicuous challenge. Klose had only committed three fouls before receiving his second yellow. The ref should have taken a patient approach and given Klose a stern warning.

Serbia was quickly able to take advantage of the Germans, when Krasic floated a cross that found the head of target man Nikola Zigic. He flicked the ball back into the danger area and Milan Jovanovic had an easy finish.

Serbia was able to use its man advantage in the midfield to force the Germans wide. Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller, not being deployed as out-right wingers, were unable to get wide enough to free up space for Mesut Ozil to work with.

The Serbs defense remained organized during the entire match. The only mistake was Nemanja Vidic’s handball in the box. Fortunately, Vladimir Stojkovic was able to guess right on Podolski’s penalty.

The Germans will head back into camp knowing that have been exposed and will have to make a few corrections. As I mentioned, they will need to find a way to get width into the attack. Fitness also looked to be an issue late in the match, especially from the back four.