Klose Amankan Poin Jerman Hadapi Ghana 2-2
Klose Rescues a Point Against Battling Ghana 2-2
Editor : Cahyani Harzi
Translator : Dhelia Gani
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Fortaleza (B2B) - Ghana membuktikan ketangguhannya dengan menahan imbang tim kuat Jerman 2-2 dalam pertandingan putaran dua penyisihan Grup G di Castelao, Forteleza, Sabtu sore (Minggu dinihari WIB).
Gotze membuat Jerman lebih dulu memimpin melalui sundulan yang menyentuh dengkul pada menit 51, namun tidak selang lama Ayew menyamakan kedudukan lewat sundulan keras menit 54, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Namun belum berhenti sorak sorai pendukung Jerman, Ayew dengan sundulan keras mampu menaklukkan kiper Neuer untuk menyamakan kedudukan menjadi 1-1.
Umpan cantik Horrison Afful diselesaikan dengan baik oleh Ayew yang berada di dekat titik penalti Jerman.
Ghana yang terus menjaga tempo cepat permainannya, kemudian mampu membalik keadaan. Melalui Asamoah Gyan pada menit 63, Black Stars berganti memimpin 2-1.
Gyan yang mendapatkan umpan terobosan, berlari mengalahkan dua bek Jerman dan melayangkan tembakan yang tidak bisa dijangkau kiper Neuer.
Seperti halnya dalam serangan, dalam gol pun Ghana dan Jerman saling balas. Miroslav Klose yang masuk menggantikan Gotze pada menit 69, mencetak gol dalam dua menit kemudian.
Gol Klose menit 71 itu telah menyelamatkan Jerman dari kekalahan dalam pertandingan menegangkan nan melelahkan melawan tim Afrika Ghana.
Dalam sisa waktu babak kedua berikutnya, Jerman dan Ghana tetap begitu intensif menyerang, mencari kelengahan lawan untuk perburuan satu gol kemenangan.
Ayew kembali mengancam gawang Jerman menit 88, bola tendangannya melayang ke arah pojok bawah gawang, tapi Neuer dengan sigap mampu menghadangnya.
Setelah upaya Gyan yang gagal, Jerman terus berburu. Klose yang menerima umpan Ozil melayangkan tembakan, sayang masih melenceng.
Begitu pun dengan umpan silang Ozil dari kanan pertahanan Ghana, masih mampu dihadang oleh Waris dan hanya menghasilkan tendangan pojok.
Hingga pertandingan babak kedua berakhir, Ghana patut mendapatkan pujian, mampu menahan Jerman 2-2. Sementara bagi Jerman, pertandingan itu harus dibayar mahal karena striker andalannya Muller berdarah-darah pada mukanya. Ia terluka dalam perebutan bola di udara dengan John Boye.
Fortaleza - Germany´s 2-2 draw against Ghana on Saturday once again exposed the team´s lack of a true leader, a charismatic player who will take charge when the chips are down.
Exciting, dominant, and entertaining as they often are, Germany´s lack of a ´go-to´ player in times of trouble has haunted them through the last two World Cups and two European championships.
After bright runs through those four tournaments, they were soundly beaten in one final, at Euro 2008, and three semi-finals.
That lack of an inspirational leader almost cost them dearly again in their Group G match against Ghana on Saturday before two players with a combined age of 65 came off the bench to save the day.
With Germany suddenly and shockingly trailing Ghana 2-1 thanks to a pair of defensive blunders - one from captain Phillip Lahm - Miroslav Klose and Bastian Schweinsteiger turned the game around when they got on the pitch in the 69th minute.
Klose got the equaliser with his first touch less than two minutes later to avert what would have been a humiliating, and dangerous, defeat to Ghana in what is arguably the World Cup´s toughest group.
Ghana´s Kevin-Prince Boateng stuck his finger in the wound before the match when he said Germany´s problem was it lacked a "Typen" - tough guys who take charge.
He even said Loew could hang his words up in dressing room for motivation because it was not just his opinion but the general consensus in Germany.
Boateng was once such a ´tough guy´ and natural leader for the nation´s under-21 team but he was a bit too much of an independent spirit for Germany´s liking.
With such a deep pool of talented players to choose from, the German FA (DFB) tends to promote those with squeaky clean images who stick to what might be called the "corporate line" - stay modest, stay out of trouble, and don´t criticise anyone.
Boateng read the writing on the wall and so switched allegiance to Ghana.
His criticism before Saturday´s match certainly struck a nerve in Germany.
For years, fans and football pundits have been warning about the perils of not having someone to look to in tight spots - a leader in the mould of Michael Ballack, Oliver Kahn or Stefan Effenberg.
