Fri, Sep 05, 2003 - Page 22 News List

German team heads to Iceland for Euro qualifier

AP , FRANKFURT, GERMANY

Germany travels to Iceland for a key European Championship qualifier with one major worry on coach Rudi Voeller's mind: who will score the goals Germans need to qualify?

Germany's final test before the trip to Reykjavik was a 1-0 loss to Italy in Stuttgart two weeks ago. An injury-depleted German team produced a creditable performance, especially in the second half, when it created a dozen chances. But there was no one to finish them.

Four strikers tried their luck in that game and none could score.

Voeller has now recalled young Stuttgart forward Kevin Kuranyi, who was last season's top Bundesliga scorer apart from foreigners with 15 goals.

Kuranyi wasn't selected for Italy match and instead did Under-21 duty. This time it's 1860 Munich's Benjamin Lauth who has been sent to the juniors.

But neither Kuranyi nor Fredi Bobic have scored a goal in four games so far this season for their clubs. Miroslav Klose has one for Kaiserslautern and only Oliver Neuville appears to be hot, with three goals for Bayer Leverkusen.

Bobic has been starting recently but he still appears unsettled in his new club, Hertha Berlin, and Voeller may decide to reshuffle his forward line.

The return of the talented pair of Bayern Munich midfielders Michael Ballack and Sebastian Deisler could provide more punch to Voeller's team. Ballack is one of the team's more consistent scorers and Deisler can score too, especially from free kicks.

But Deisler is still not fully fit after missing 17 months overcoming a severe knee injury.

This story has been viewed 2610 times.
TOP top