The pitch and players were dampened, but Germany’s and Uruguay’s effort and performance were worthy of a World Cup medal-round match.
In one of the most exciting games from start to finish of the World Cup, Germany’s Sami Khedira headed home the winning goal in the 82nd minute to beat Uruguay 3-2 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Saturday.
The steady rain didn’t stop Germany from winning third place for the second straight World Cup. They also did so as the hosts in 2006 and have won bronze four times overall.Die Mannschaft’s win wasn’t secured until just a few seconds from time, when Uruguay’s Diego Forlan’s free kick in the second minute of stoppage time hit the crossbar and bounced away.
Forlan and Germany’s Thomas Muller both scored a goal, tying them with the Netherlands’ Wesley Sneijder and Spain’s David Villa for the tournament lead with five goals.
Muller opened the scoring in the 19th minute, knocking in a rebound off Bastian Schweinsteiger’s long shot.
Edinson Cavani hit the equalizer for La Celeste nine minutes later, toe-poking the ball on the ground to the far post past German keeper Jorg Butt.
Uruguay scored the first goal of the second half to take the lead. Forlan took Egidio Arevalo’s cross in the 51st minute and bounced it over a frozen Butt.
Just five minutes later, Germany tied the game again. Marcell Jansen outjumped two Uruguayan defenders and beat keeper Fernando Muslera with a header.
Both sides dodged a couple of chances, with Butt stopping Luis Suarez and Forlan and Schweinsteiger and Stefan Kiesling missing for Germany, before Khedira’s late heroics.
Khedira’s header off a corner proved to be the winning goal.
Not before a little last-second stress, though. Arne Friedrich received a yellow card in the second minute of stoppage time, but Forlan couldn’t connect to force an extra session.
Uruguay striker Suarez returned after missing his side’s semifinal loss to the Dutch and was loudly booed nearly every time he touched the ball after his now-infamous late intentional handball that kept host continent nation Ghana from reaching the semifinals.
The Germans’ victory ensures that all three medal teams will be European. The Netherlands and Spain face off in the final Sunday.
NOTES: Germany improved to 7-1-2 all-time against La Celeste, which finished higher at the World Cup (fourth) than in its South American qualifying group (fifth). … The Germans finished with 16 goals, currently good for the tournament high. … Germany’s Miroslav Klose sat out with a back injury. He is currently one goal shy of Ronaldo’s all-time World Cup goal record with 14, and the 32-year-old is not considered likely to make the German squad for the 2014 Cup in Brazil. … Muller, 20, became the youngest player to score five goals in a World Cup.
Photo above: Germany's Sami Khedira, center, celebrates with Per Mertesacker after his game-winning goal Saturday. (Gero Breloer/AP)
Video credit – ESPN on ABC
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