Germany`s Philipp Lahm, left, celebrates after scoring during the Euro 2012 soccer championship quarterfinal match between Germany and Greece in Gdansk, Poland, Friday, June 22, 2012. (AP-Yonhap News)
GDANSK, Poland (AP) _ With Chancellor Angela Merkel cheering every step of the way, Germany dominated Greece _ on the football field.
The Germans reached the European Championship semifinals for a record seventh time by beating Greece 4-2 Friday in a match played amid the contentious political backdrop between the countries.
But just like in the real world, where Germany has been a major contributor to economic bailouts for Greece, the three-time champions were in control at the Arena Gdansk. And after the match, Merkel visited the players in the changing room.
``(Merkel) congratulated us and said that we played very well,'' Germany forward Mesut Oezil said. ``The rest of what she said will stay among us.''
Philipp Lahm put Germany in the lead in the 39th minute as his team controlled nearly every facet of the game. Although Georgios Samaras equalized for Greece in the 55th, it was all Germany after that as Sami Khedira, Miroslav Klose and Marco Reus scored.
It was the 15th consecutive competitive victory for Germany, dating back to the win over Uruguay for third place at the 2010 World Cup. The Germans will go for No. 16 against either England or Italy in the semifinals on Thursday in Warsaw.
Although Germany dominated from the start, the Greek defense held strong for much of the first half. Lahm finally put his team in front by controlling the ball with his chest and dribbling toward the middle before sending a long-distance shot into the corner off the hand of Greece goalkeeper Michalis Sifakis.
``We couldn't breathe and did very little with our chances and on set pieces,'' Greece coach Fernando Santos said. ``The first goal made things very difficult for us, despite our good defensive effort.''
The Greeks looked better at the start of the second half, and even equalized when Samaras knocked the ball past Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after a perfect cross from Dimitris Salpigidis.
It was one of Greece few forays into Germany's side of the field.
``Greece is a curious team. They had one chance and scored two goals,'' Germany coach Joachim Loew said. ``But we didn't get nervous after 1-1, and the goals came.''
They did indeed.
Khedira volleyed in a cross from Jerome Boateng in the 61st, and Klose headed in a free kick from Oezil in the 68th as Sifakis was late to punch the ball away.
``When we conceded a second goal we had to open up and that cost us,'' Salpigidis said. ``I hope the Greeks got some encouragement from watching us fighting.''
Reus made it 4-1 in the 74th, volleying a shot in off the underside of the crossbar after Sifakis had saved from Klose. Salpigidis added a consolation penalty for Greece in the 89th after Boateng handled.
``We scored twice. We did what we could,'' Greece defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos said. ``Maybe we could have been a bit more careful but we fought hard, we fought for the whole of Greece.''
Loew dropped his three main forwards for the match, including leading striker Mario Gomez, but their replacements did just fine.
Klose, who has Polish heritage, constantly troubled the Greek defense and linked up well with Oezil and Andre Schuerrle.
Greece had one major change in its lineup, but it was because of suspension. Captain Giorgos Karagounis sat out the match after picking up a yellow card in the 1-0 win over Russia for diving.
Without him in the midfield, the Germans had little trouble controlling the play and creating chance after chance.
``We made it to the last eight and this is very important,'' Papastathopoulos said. ``The Netherlands didn't make it and we are talking about a very big country in football terms.''
Lineups:
Germany: Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Holger Badstuber, Philipp Lahm, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marco Reus (Mario Goetze, 80), Mesut Oezil, Andre Schuerrle (Thomas Mueller, 67), Miroslav Klose (Mario Gomez, 80).
Greece: Michalis Sifakis, Yiannis Maniatis, Giorgos Tzavelas (Giorgos Fotakis, 46), Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Grigoris Makos (Nikos Lymberopoulos, 72), Georgios Samaras, Dimitris Salpigidis, Vassilis Torosidis, Sotiris Ninis (Fanis Gekas, 46), Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Costas Katsouranis.
<한글기사>
유로2012- 독일, 그리스 꺾고 4강 진출
4-2 완승..잉글랜드-이탈리아 승자와 대결
'전차군단' 독일이 그리스를 완파하고 2012 유럽축구선수권대회(유로2012) 4강에 진출했다.
독일은 23일(이하 한국시간) 폴란드 PGE 아레나에서 열린 대회 8강전에서 전반 종료 직전 필리프 람의 선제골을 신호탄으로 후반에 3골을 몰아넣어 그리스를 4-2로 제압했다.
스페인과 함께 이번 대회 강력한 우승후보로 꼽히는 독일은 29일 새벽 잉글랜드-이탈리아 경기의 승자와 4강전을 치른다.
독일은 분단 국가이던 서독 시절까지 포함하면 세 차례 이 대회 우승컵을 가져갔다. 가장 최근의 우승은 1996년이었다.
막강한 공격력을 자랑하는 독일이지만 탄탄한 그리스의 수비벽을 뚫는 데는 다소 시간이 필요했다.
독일의 수차례 결정적인 슈팅은 그리스 골키퍼 미할리스 시파키스에게 막혔다.
전반전이 득점 없이 끝나가려던 순간 람의 중거리슛이 불을 뿜었다.
람은 전반 39분 페널티지역 왼쪽에서 중앙으로 서서히 볼을 몰고 가다가 강력한 오른발 슛을 했고 볼은 대각선으로 날아가 그리스 골네트에 꽂혔다.
그리스는 후반에 들어가면서 공격수와 미드필더를 교체투입시키며 승부수를 띄웠다.
전반보다는 공격적으로 나온 그리스는 후반 10분 역습 공격이 효과를 봤다.
하프라인에서 올라온 패스를 받은 디미트리스 살핑기디스가 오른쪽 측면으로 뛰어들어가면서 문전으로 크로스를 올렸다.
문전으로 쇄도하던 요르고스 사마라스는 넘어지면서 오른발로 볼을 차넣어 동점골을 만들었다.
하지만 독일의 공세는 이후 더 거세졌다.
독일은 그리스의 동점골이 터지고 6분 뒤 자미 케디라가 제롬 보아텡의 크로스를 발리슛으로 연결해 2-1로 다시 앞서나갔다.
후반 23분 미로슬라프 클로제의 헤딩슛에 이어 그 후 6분 만에 마르코 로이스의 발리슛이 잇달아 터지면서 독일은 확실한 승기를 잡았다.
2004년 우승팀 그리스는 경기 종료 1분 전 살핑기디스가 페널티킥을 성공시켜 한 골을 만회했지만 승부의 추를 되돌리기에는 시간이 턱없이 부족했다.
한편 8강전의 세 번째 대결인 스페인-프랑스전은 24일 오전 3시45분 시작된다.
◇8강전 이틀째 전적
독일 4(1-0 3-2)2 그리스
△득점= 필리프 람(전39분) 자미 케디라(후16분) 미로슬라프 클로제(후23분) 마르코 로이스(후29분•이상 독일) 요르고스 사마라스(후10분) 디미트리스 살핑기디스
(후44분•PK•이상 그리스)
(연합뉴스)
