Predictable win
September 3, 2011
Germany's national soccer team trounced Austria 6-2 on Friday, making them the first team to qualify for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine next year.
The German match-winner was Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Özil, who scored three goals of the game, though the European football governing body UEFA made a questionable decision to give one of the goals to Miroslav Klose.
"We played well as a team and we have now qualified for the finals," said Özil after the match. "We are a very strong team and it has to be our goal that we want to win the title."
Germany's three other goals were scored by Lukas Podolski, Andre Schürrle and Mario Götze. Schürrle and Götze were both substitutes and both scored shortly after taking the field.
A predictable victory
Austria's Marko Arnautovic and Martin Harnik, who both play in the German Bundesliga, shot the goals for their side.
"Austria had two chances and scored twice, but I think we were very dominant," said German coach Joachim Löw. "If you play attacking football, you are bound to give away chances to the opponents."
Austria captain Christian Fuchs said Germany had clearly earned the win.
"We made our lives difficult because we made too many mistakes in the build up," said the Schalke defender. "Germany isn't the third best team in the world for nothing."
The win maintains Germany's perfect record of eight Euro 2012 qualifier wins. The scoreboard was significantly more lopsided than Germany's last match with Austria in June, which bodes poorly for Austrian coach Dietmar Constantini.
Germany is scheduled to play Turkey on October 7 and Belgium on October 11. In Friday's other Group A qualifiers, Turkey beat Kazakhstan 2-1 and Belgium drew with Azerbaijan 1-1.
Author: Andrew Bowen (AFP, dpa)
Editor: Mark Rossman