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The Swedish national team failed to put up a serious resistance against the tournament hosts, the Germans. The winner of the match was clear already in the first half, when Germany had already secured a 2-0 lead. Early on in the game, Sweden's defender Teddy Lucic was sent off with a second yellow card. The second half of the match lacked any real suspense, as Germany easily overcame their opponents and became the first team to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Munich - "Allianz Arena" stadium Referee: Carlos Eugenio Simon (Brazil) Germany 2-0 Sweden 4' [1-0] Lukas Podolski 12' [2-0] Lukas Podolski Germany: Lehmann, Friedrich, Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm, Schweinsteiger (72' Borowski), Frings (85' Kehl), Ballack, Schneider, Podolski (74' Neuville), Klose. Sweden: Isaksson, Alexandersson, Mellberg, Lucic, Edman, Ljungberg, Linderoth, Kallstrom (39' Hansson), Jonson (52' Wilhelmsson), Ibrahimovic (72' Allback), Larsson.
The German national team performed well in the group stages, but few expected Jürgen Klinsmann's team to defeat the Swedes so easily. The first goal for the hosts came after just 4 minutes. Lukas Podolski was the first to react to the ball after Miroslav Klose's shot and sent it into the net. This goal gave the Germans a great start to the match.
The young German struck again after a pass from Michael Ballack, but this time he missed the target. Ballack, the captain of the German team, was involved both defensively and offensively. After attempting to score against Andreas Isaksson, Ballack quickly returned to his own half and intercepted the ball from Henrik Larsson's shot.
The Germans continued to attack. Isaksson had to deal with a shot from Ballack, and Klose's header went over the crossbar. Sweden rarely threatened the opponent's goal in the first half. The Germans defended against all their attempts and launched attacks towards the Swedish goal. Isaksson was arguably the best player for Sweden in the first half.
The Germans played confidently, and the fans in the stadium proudly chanted the name of the national team coach Klinsmann. Sweden's situation worsened even more after Teddy Lucic received a second yellow card. After fouling Klose, Brazilian referee Carlos Simon sent the defender off the field, crushing Sweden's hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.
Although Lars Lagerbäck's team tried to attack towards the end of the half, they couldn't improve the scoreline, and the Germans controlled the situation on the field the entire first half, going into the break with a two-goal lead and one player advantage.
At the beginning of the second half, the referee gave Sweden a glimmer of hope by awarding a somewhat questionable penalty kick against Germany. However, it was a disappointing day for the Swedes, as Larsson fired the shot over the crossbar, leading to disappointment for both the Swedish fans and players who had to accept the defeat.
In the remainder of the second half, the hosts tried to take advantage of their numerical superiority. The team captain Ballack's long-range shot was saved by Isaksson. The pace of the match noticeably slowed down in the second half. Both teams were waiting for the final whistle of the referee.
The German national team had several chances to score more goals but failed to do so. Ballack, Podolski, substitute Oliver Neuville, and others attempted shots from distance. This victory for Germany was somewhat unexpectedly easy, while the Swedes will go home having played one of their worst games in the tournament. Now, the Germans become one of the main contenders to win the World Cup. The national team coach shouldn't be too worried and can calmly prepare for the upcoming quarterfinal.
