GERMANY/MEXICO: FOOTBALL FANS IN BERLIN CELEBRATE GERMANY'S VICTORY OVER MEXICO IN THE WORLD CUP

Record ID: 251034

  • Title: GERMANY/MEXICO: FOOTBALL FANS IN BERLIN CELEBRATE GERMANY'S VICTORY OVER MEXICO IN THE WORLD CUP
  • Date: 30th June 1998
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JUNE 29, 1998) (RTV) 1. WIDE OF FANS WATCHING GAME IN "TRAENENPALAST" CONCERT HALL 2. GOAL SCORED ON SCREEN 3. FANS APPLAUDING 4. VARIOUS OF FANS CLAPPING AND CHANTING/ GAME ON SCREEN 5. GERMAN FAN EWALD SCHNIEDER SAYING: "IT WAS A NERVE-RACKING MATCH. IF WE WANT TO WIN THE WORLD CUP OUR PERFORMANCE WILL HAVE TO IMP
  • Embargoed: 15th July 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY/MEXICO CITY, MEXICO
  • City:
  • Country: EUROPE Mexico LATIN AMERICA Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA7NKRCNOQYGQFUJB6LQH49B1V6
  • Story Text: FootbalL fans in Berlin have been celebrating Germany's victory over Mexico in the World Cup While in Mexico city, fans danced and cheered despite the defeat that knocked knocked their team out of the World Cup.

    About 800 German soccer fans gathered in the "Traenenpalast" concert venue in Berlin on Monday (June 29) to watch Germany defeat Mexico.After the victory, fans celebrated along Berlin's Kurfuerstendamm boulevard.

    Strikers Juergen Klinsmann and Oliver Bierhoff inspired Germany to stage another of their legendary comebacks and beat Mexico 2-1 in the second round of the World Cup.

    The three-time champions looked in danger of going out at the earliest stage of a finals for 20 years after a superb goal from Luis Hernandez two minutes into the second half, a just reward for Mexico's enterprising football.

    But Klinsmann pounced on a mistake by defender Raul Lara to stab home a cross from Dietmar Hamann for the equaliser in the 75th minute.

    And with just four minutes left Bierhoff, who hit the bar in the first half with a simple chance, rose to head a cross from Ulf Kirsten just inside the right-hand post to crush Mexican resistance.

    Berti Vogts' men now face the winners of Tuesday's quarter-final between Romania or Croatia in Lyon.

    Hernandez's brilliant individual effort two minutes into the second half shocked a German defence which had lost veteran Juergen Kohler before the kick-off after he injured himself in the warm-up.

    Indeed the Mexicans could, and perhaps should, have gone two up soon after their flaxen-haired striker had scored.

    The German defence looked sluggish when El Matador picked up a short pass from Cuauhtemoc Blanco and weaved his way past Michael Tarnat and Christian Woerns before firing the ball past German 'keeper Andy Koepke.

    In the 61st minute the Mexicans might have scored again when substitute Jesus Arellano broke away on his own down the right.Libero Lothar Matthaeus tried to tackle but indavertently hit the ball goalwards.

    Koepke managed to turn the ball on to the right-hand post and Hernandez weakly fired a second shot into the keeper's arms with the goal at his mercy.

    Numerous teams have learned you cannot give the Germans a second chance, and sure enough they bounced back.

    Klinsmann demonstrated he has lost none of his finishing prowess in his last World Cup to score before Bierhoff, the hero of Germany's Euro 96 triumph, underlined he is one of the world's most dangerous players in the air.

    Klinsmann and Bierhoff each scored twice in first round matches.Their two goals against the Mexicans may be the most precious they will ever score for their country.

    In the 38th minute wing back Tarnat hit a fierce shot from outside the penalty area which Mexican 'keeper Jorge Campos did well to save, diving to his left in spectacular fashion to save one-handed.

    Two minutes later Bierhoff went desperately close to scoring when he hit the bar with a header with Campos stranded.

    Mexico played lively, quick-passing soccer for 90 minutes and were Germany's equal in all areas of the field for long stretches of the game.Campos was superb, but in the end German experience won through.

    But in Mexico City, the valiant Mexican effort did not prevent dancing and cheering from the thousands of fans gathered on the central square to watch the game.

    However, one fan was rushed to a hospital in critical condition after being hit on the head with a small explosive during the festivities.

    Poice in riot gear made various arrests after they were called in to subdue the emotional fans.

    Although many said the final whistle brought pain and despair, most fans considered Mexico's participation in the tournament to be a success.

    Germany will meet the winner of the Romania-Croatia match in the quarter finals.

    Germany were knocked out by Bulgaria in the 1994 quarter-finals while Mexico have not reached the last eight since 1986, when they were beaten by West Germany.

    The Germans, who have reached the final six times since 1954, winning three times, have gone out in the second round just once before in the 1978 finals in Argentina.


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