Clinical Germany put squeeze on Australia

DURBAN: Three-time champions Germany led Australia 2-0 at half-time of their Group D match here on Sunday thanks to goals from Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose.

Germany totally dominated the Socceroos, with captain Philipp Lahm and rising stars Mesut Oezil and Thomas Mueller running Australian veterans Scott Chipperfield and Craig Moore ragged down the right wing.

Podolski opened the scoring in the ninth minute, the happy recipient of a text-book training ground move executed to clinical perfection.

After Oezil had played in Mueller, the Bayern Munich right winger cut the ball back across the face of the goal for Podolski to hammer home left-footed, with Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer getting a hand on it.

Klose, top scorer in the 2006 World Cup, made it 2-0 in the 27th minute with a well-taken goal – and his 11th in the World Cup – rising between Australian captain Lucas Neill and Schwarzer to head powerfully home from a Lahm cross from the right.

It was Australia who had the first real chance of the game, Lahm clearing a close-range effort by Richard Garcia in the fourth minute.

But the half was all about Oezil and Mueller, and the hatful of scoring chances that went a-begging as Germany pressed home their total advantage of territory and possession.