World Cup - South Korea v Germany Preview

Will anyone be allowed to score against South Korea ?

Germany face the co-hosts in Seoul as the next side to try and play an honest game against Korea – and then perhaps be knocked out by the match officials.

Five goals ruled out against Guus Hiddink’s side on their progress to the last four including the scandalous wipe out of extra time winners from Italy and Spain in the previous knockout rounds mean the spectre of corruption is looming right over what is supposed to be the greatest sporting event in the world.

Everyone makes mistakes and even two horrendous blunders by referees and their line officials can perhaps be excused. Games move very quickly for sure but how Spain did not win their quarter final against Korea will be an abiding memory of these finals.

Perhaps the abiding memory.

A tournament which has seen no great goals of genius, no dominant star player and certainly no classic matches so far, is now close to being written off as a joke.

The Korean fans above all deserve better.

They have provided brilliant support for their side with shows of intense devotion but is it all honest ? Are their side really so good that they can string together a series of wins that is better than any other side’s record at these finals. Nine months ago Hiddink’s side was an utter shambles and had few friends in its own country never mind abroad.

Now they are world beaters but in an increasingly tainted tournament they have not been alone in receiving favours from officials.

Step forward their semi final opponents Germany. Torsten Frings handled the ball on the goal line in their quarter final win over the US and Scottish referee Hugh Dallas did not award a penalty or punish Frings.

What is going on ?

Referees have been quick to defend their colleagues by claiming the game is too fast and they are unsighted at major incidents. If so then they should get technological help or two match officials to be on the field at all times to stay up with play.

But that may not help scandalous decisions that have gone in Korea’s favour regularly in their last two matches.

What we are left with is a game in ruins unless the four sides left in the 20002 edition can play well enough to make us forget games that have made us all feel uneasy with their blatant errors from officialdom.

There is little hope of this.

Semi finals tend to be grim and ones involving poor German sides even worse.

With Michael Ballack a shadow of his best at these finals, Germany have relied on sweat and guts to get them this far.

They are definite title contenders and just the sort of side to wreck Korea’s dream in Seoul. The German squad are the best prepared European outfit and coach Rudi Voller can earn nothing but praise for guiding a limited side of workers this far and probably further.

For world class displays with Ballack close to a write off so far, the Germans have the excellent goalkeeper Oliver Kahn to show off.

He is a commanding figure and may brush aside Korea’s attacks unless the hosts can find something special. The Germans also have the possibility of fruitful raids with Bernd Schneider crossing for striker Miroslav Klose and the aerial power of the European side at free kicks and corners is possibly the best way for them to win through to the final itself in Yokohama on Sunday.

Both sides have shown admirable ‘stickability’ when games go against them. They are both able to find reserves of energy and confidence to keep going when they have both at times been utterly outplayed. Germany have not been bettered for very long spells in their games and have an admirable will to win.

Korea will certainly test this will. Their energetic and hard running displays have seen team work given a precedent over individual skills but Hiddink’s side is a clever unit which sees players swap positions regularly to vary tactics and confuse opponents. The Germans may be too rigid in their tactical approach and Voller too inexperienced as a coach to change things quickly and Germany have to retain possession as much as possible to keep the busy Korean side at arm’s length.

Germany therefore need midfielder Dietmar Hamann to be fit. In his undemonstrative way, Hamann guides the better German moves and governs their ball-winning but he has a right knee problem and may not be fit for the semi final.

Jens Jeremies is on standby to replace Hamann with Carsten Ramelow also a possible starter for Voller as Christian Ziege gets dumped in favour of young star Christian Metzelder to be used on the left wing with Ramelow partnering Sebastian Kehl in the centre of the German defence.

Korea are hoping striker Ahn Jung-hwan is fit after an ankle problem with midfield ball-winner Kim Nam-Il suffering also with an ankle injury and is not expected to start the game.

Germany defeated Korea 3-2 in the 1994 at the World Cup finals but have to face down an intense Seoul city atmosphere to repeat that win. There is no better side capable of disappointing the hosts and they can be dour at times. It is to be sorely hoped that the players decide the final among themselves without interference from the match officials

The international game cannot bear anything else.