Miroslav Klose equaled Brazil icon Ronaldo’s record of 15 World Cup goals to spare Germany’s blushes by salvaging a 2-2 draw in their Group G match against Ghana on Saturday.
Mario Goetze gave Germany the lead before goals from Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan turned the game on its head and threatened to cause a major upset for the Black Stars in Fortaleza. Yet Klose had the last laugh with a poacher’s goal just 19 minutes from time.
“It doesn’t matter whether I play from the start or come off the bench: All games are important and 15 goals in 20 World Cup games isn’t bad,” the SS Lazio striker said.
Photo: EPA
Klose claimed a record before flying to Brazil when he became Germany’s all-time top scorer and his goal against Ghana extended his tally to 70 goals in 133 internationals.
Germany captain Phillip Lahm refused to use the sweltering conditions at the Arena Castelao as a reason for their performance.
“It was a grueling 90 minutes, the weather can’t be an excuse, we were not as aggressive and gave them too much room,” Lahm said.
Photo: Reuters
Gyan, whose goal saw him join Cameroon legend Roger Milla as Africa’s leading all-time scorer with five goals, said they played much better than in the 2-1 loss to the US.
“We believed in ourselves today,” the 28-year-old told the BBC. “I think tactically we were perfect today. Now we definitely have to beat Portugal. We will have to focus, but we believe we can beat them.”
The result breathes life back into Ghana’s hopes of reaching the last 16, while the Mannschaft could be knocked from top of the group and must beat Jurgen Klinsmann’s Stars and Stripes in Recife on Thursday to be sure of reaching the last 16.
Having at times bossed the first half and only denied by two superb Manuel Neuer saves from Sulley Muntari and Christian Atsu, Ghana switched off in the second.
Thomas Mueller picked out Goetze, who mistimed his header, but the ball sto;; went in off his knee before rebounding past Ghana goalkeeper Abdul-Fatawu Dauda. However, the lead lasted only three minutes.
Harrison Afful crossed into the box and Ayew climbed above Shkodran Mustafi and the static Per Mertesacker to flick a header beyond Neuer. Nine minutes later things got even better for Ghana as Muntari dispossessed Lahm and slid the ball through to Black Stars captain Gyan to smash it past Neuer.
Ghana broke out into impressive dancing after Gyan’s goal and were running riot as Germany barely clung on, until an inspired substitution by coach Joachim Loew brought Klose into the fray.
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