Germany Scramble Draw Against Japan

With the World Cup just nine days away, Germany -- who open the tournament against Costa Rica on June 9 -- looked to be heading for an untimely defeat at 2-0 down. Naohiro Takahara -- who is set to move from his current club, SV Hamburg, to Eintracht Frankfurt -- had put Asian champions Japan two goals up with a brace -- in the 57th and 65th minute -- inside eight minutes.

Germany appeared to be on their way to their second home defeat in the two-year reign of manager Jürgen Klinsmann but hit back late on. Miroslav Klose pulled one back with a scrambled effort in the 76th minute and Bastian Schweinsteiger powered home a header four minutes later to equalize.

It was a game full of attacking verve, but it's surely clear to both Klinsmann and Japan coach Zico will that there is a lot of room for improvement with both defenses suspect.

"One could tell that we're in the middle of preparing," said Germany captain Michael Ballack. "The Japanese were more lively. We had heavy legs, but that's normal. The important thing is that we came back again."

Japan, quarter-finalists at the 2002 World Cup, open their World Cup campaign game against Australia in Kaiserslautern on June 12.

Klinsmann fielded his strongest team with Ballack shrugging off an ankle injury to return on the ground where he made his name with Bayer Leverkusen. Ballack showed no sign of struggling and was behind most of Germany's best moves early on as the hosts had a succession of corners but could not make any count.

Japan takes lead

But Japan had the first opening on the quarter hour mark. Germany were carved open down the left and Bolton midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata forced a brilliant point blank save from goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. Two minutes later Lehmann was called into action again as striker Atsushi Yanagisawa raced through on goal but hit the ball straight at the Arsenal goalkeeper.

Going forward Germany were far more polished and in the 24th minute Ballack had a goal-bound shot deflected wide. Lukas Podolski then went close with a shot at the near post, though he may have been better playing the ball square.

In the 54th minute Japan produced the best move of the match with three first time passes releasing Yuji Nakazawa, but his shot was blocked by Marcell Jansen. But three minutes later the breakthrough arrived with Takahara finishing a great move by rifling past Lehmann. Takahara doubled his tally, and that of his team, eight minutes later with a great swivel turn and thumped a shot past Lehmann.

Klose and Schweinsteiger then sealed the German comeback and both sides could have won it in the closing stages.

Germany face Colombia in Mönchengladbach on Friday for their final warm-up match while Japan take on Malta in Düsseldorf on Sunday.