Miroslav Klose play the part of super-sub to hand Germany a point in her second World Cup group
stage match with Ghana.
The veteran
striker struck his 15th all-time goal in the World Cup barely five mins after he came on to equal the record set by Brazil’s Ronaldo.
It was the kind of scrappy goal that Klose has
made a career from.
The Poland-born
striker was alive in the six-yard box to convert
what was the simplest of chances.
It was a goal of pure instinct; pure Klose.
Just as Filippo Inzaghi was able to prolong his
career owing to his wherewithal near the goal,
Klose has done likewise, and in striking
Germany level he proved that there remains a
place for him amongst the thoughts of head
coach Joachim Low.
Thomas Muller’s scoring record may have
caught the headlines lately, but though his is
formidable he had, after all, scored in five
successive World Cup finals matches heading
into the clash at Castelao – he is not a
thoroughbred forward in the manner of his
veteran colleague.
Before introducing Klose midway through the
second period as a response to Asamoah Gyan
putting Ghana ahead, Low had run the full gambit of
systems.
Germany first tried a 4-2-3-1 but promptly
switched to 4-4-2 to mirror their opponents.
Having found both ineffective, at half-time
there was a further reshuffle to 4-3-3, but
though it was Mario Gotze who put them into
the lead with what might kindly be called a
header, it was Klose’s instinct that would
prove telling at the death.
Perhaps the greatest surprise about his 22-
minute cameo was that he wasted an
opportunity to win the match with 60 seconds
remaining.
Certainly, one of the favourites for the World
Cup were pushed hard by the side who finished
2010 as sore quarter-final losers in South
Africa.
Prior to the game, Ghana, who would be
vocally backed by the vast majority of
neutrals, had promised to go out to leave
everything on the field, and in this regard
they certainly did not disappoint, with Sulley
Muntari, Andre Ayew and, in the second half,
Gyan ebullient.
For Germany, struggling in their second World
Cup match is nothing new, however unwelcome.
Only once since the reunification of the
country have they won what is a known pitfall
for the side.
Now they face the familiar task of earning a
positive result in their final match against the
USA, though with Klose in tow, there is always
the likelihood of a goal.