Austria came closest to scoring a goal in the second period after a shot from the left was deflected into the path of an Austrian player at the near post, but he could not judge the flight of the ball well enough and his outstretched leg knocked the ball wide. Kazakhstan will be more pleased by the 0-0 result than will Austria.
Faroe Islands were looking for a famous scalp as Sweden came calling in Torshavn. Faroe goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen denied Swedish superstar striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic on three occasions in the first half, so the Faroes were feeling like tonight could be the night as they went into the break knotted at zero.
The Faroes in fact did find the opener off a throw-in. The headed clearance by Sweden was chested down at the penalty spot by Rogvi Balvinsson, who slotted home to his left for a shock 1-0 lead. A classy side net finish from fourteen yards on the left side of the box by Alexander Kacaniklic restored order to the match as Sweden were level with twenty-five minutes left of the clock. Ten minutes after that, Ibrahimovic had his goal, but is was not a pretty one. His teammate had provided a smooth standing chip pass allowing Ibrahimovic to beat the offside trap, but Ibrahimovic only managed to knock the ball weakly under a leaping and charging Nielsen. Ibrahimovic followed the ball and beat defender Pol Johannus Justinussen to the line as he slid to the side of the ball to block any potential clearance off the line. Sweden held on for the final quarter hour and win 2-1.
Dublin was the site as the home team Ireland faced off against Group C favorites Germany. Ireland were missing the majority of their England-based contingent, and the lack of quality really showed on this night. Germany were not sympathetic to the Irish plight. Ireland only managed to hold out for thirty minutes. Marco Reus (pictured white, #21) pounced on a loose ball in the Irish penalty area and ran the ball onto his right foot in order to unleash goal number one into the opposite side of the net. A slow-developing counterattack by Germany allowed two changes of play and four players to get involved eight minutes later before Reus had a shot left-footed from the top of the box which he blasted just inside of the far post and into the side net. Germany took their 2-0 lead into the intermission.
A sloppy tackle by Darren O'Dea felled Miroslav Klose (picture, white #11) in the penalty area. Germany converted the penalty kick for a three-goal lead. A long-distance through ball from Bastian Schweinsteiger put Klose through on goal three minutes after having been felled. Klose took the goalkeeper wide and then slotted home from a very sharp angle for 4-0. Toni Kroos delivered an impromptu left-footed volleyed goal from the top of the box when a floating clearance fell to him on the hour mark. Kroos, not to be outdone by Reus, smoked a right-footed blast from twenty-two yards that scorched the back of the Irish net. Ireland ruined the clean sheet in stoppage time when Andy Keogh was left unmarked to head a chest-level ball into the ground and into the German net. Germany win 6-1 and send a message that this group is theirs for the taking.
Goals
Sweden
Alexander Kacaniklic 65
Zlatan Ibrahimovic 75
Faroe Islands
Rogvi Balvinsson 57
Germany
Marco Reus 32, 40
Mesut Ozil 55 PK
Miroslav Klose 58
Toni Kroos 61, 83
Ireland
Andy Keogh 90+2
Germany 9 pts +9
Sweden 6 pts +3
Ireland 3 pts -4
Austria 1 pts -1
Kazakhstan 1 pts -3
Faroe Islands 0 pts -4
Match Reports:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2012/1013/1224325226409.html
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1783868/index.html
http://www.espnstar.com/football/world-cup/news/detail/item872473/Faroe-Islands-1-2-Sweden/
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1783859/index.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/world-cup-2014/9598662/Republic-of-Ireland-1-Germany-6-match-report.html
http://www.goal.com/en-gh/match/92392/ireland-vs-germany/report
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1784239/index.html
Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOa_0dSmtck (Kazakhstan v. Austria)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPk_fUSnncM (Sweden v. Faroe Islands)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpfNJdBqLMY (Germany v. Ireland)
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