England and Germany draw blanks
Written By: Robert Halter
It was the thirty second meeting between England and Germany, a rivalry that dated back to 1930.There was a lack of concentration early on by Harry Maguire, whose poor back pass went straight to Timo Werner, who was kept out by a brave block from the Three Lions keeper, Jordan Pickford. But England responded with a long ball from Danny Rose, and as Jamie Vardy whipped the ball across, it went past Tammy Abraham, before the ball was put into the outside netting of the right post from Kieran Trippier. But Germany pressed again from Antonio Rudiger’s ball forward, and through a cross by Marcel Halstenberg on the left, John Stones cut out Werner. It was followed by another Germany chance, from an incisive pass by Halstenberg, and as Leroy Sane turned past Phil Jones, he found the outside netting of the near left post. Then from a chip forward by Mesut Ozil, the ball was toe poked out of play from Sane, on twelve minutes. After Ruben Loftus-Cheek was rolled over on the right throw in line by Rudiger, a floated free kick by Trippier, was pushed away with the flapping hand of Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. But the crossbar saved England in the twentieth minute, as Joshua Kimmich carved an opening for Sane, who curled a left footed strike against the upright. The Germans pressed again from a through ball by Ozil, as a low strike from Werner, was saved with one hand by Pickford before the rebound strike by Sane, was headed off the line by Jones, before Julian Draxler, fired over. Due to injury, Jones was then replaced with Joe Gomez. In the twenty eighth minute, from a lay off by Ilkay Gundogan, a snap shot by Rudiger was lapped up from Pickford. Just before the half hour mark from a delivery by Trippier, Germany cleared the danger as the ball was put back to Stegen, off the chest of Kimmich. In the thirty first minute, from Werner’s ball through, an alert Stones kept out the advancing Draxler. After Jamie Vardy was barged by Rudiger, a free kick from Trippier was poorly headed clear by Ozil, and from Maguire’s cross on the left, a strike by Rose cannoned off his own player, Vardy. In the thirty ninth minute, from Gundogan’s ball through the middle and a flick from Kimmich, it opened the way for Werner, whose low right footed strike was kept out at full stretch by Pickford. But England went close on forty two minutes, from a Maguire assist, and as Abraham turned in the area, his strike, cannoned off Rudiger, and narrowly wide of the target. The Three Lions responded again when Loftus-Cheek found Jake Livermore, who dragged his shot wide to the right. Near the end of the first half, as Vardy went forward, his lob over Stegen, was shepherded away from Gundogan under pressure by Abraham. A late booking went to Gomez for pulling down Sane. On forty nine minutes, Abraham made the move, and from Trippier’s cross on the right, a powerful header by Vardy, was kept out with an one handed save from Stegen. In the fifty eighth minute, England pressed again, as Trippier and Loftus-Cheek, put the ball out to Vardy on the right, whose cross was put out of play from Germany captain, Mats Hummels. After Livermore was booked for a foul on Sane, England then changed Abraham with Marcus Rashford, before Germany switched Draxler with Emre Can. The Three Lions later brought on Ryan Bertrand for Rose and Kyle Walker for Tripper while the Germans took off Werner for Sandro Wagner. In the seventy eighth minute, from Gundogan’s pass, the ball was driven wide to the right by Can. England soon threatened when a Maguire cross was pushed out by Stegen, as the ball went past Loftus-Cheek. England made further substitutions of Jack Cork for Livermore and Jesse Lingard on for Vardy while Germany switched Gundogan with Sebastian Rudy and Sane with Julian Brandt. In stoppage time following a foul on Lingard by Hummels, from a free kick by Rashford and a knock on by Maguire, the ball was driven over by Lingard in the last kick of the match as the game ended goalless.