HUNGARY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Sami Khedira shines as Germany crush Hungary in World Cup warm-up match

Record ID: 252449

  • Title: HUNGARY: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Sami Khedira shines as Germany crush Hungary in World Cup warm-up match
  • Date: 30th May 2010
  • Summary: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (MAY 29, 2010) (REUTERS) GERMAN TEAM MANAGER, JOACHIM LOEW ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN TEAM MANAGER, JOACHIM LOEW, TALKING ABOUT SAMI KHEDIRA, PLAYER WHO ILLED BALLACK'S POSITION, SAYING: "He has a good quality also from this personality, and he has quality in his game. He knows his position, he is a good organisator and I am sure that he can play a very good World Cup and he is able to play there also for Michael Ballack." LOEW TALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN TEAM MANAGER, JOACHIM LOEW SAYING: "I was satisfied with most of these 90 minutes but not with the whole time. We have some things, I saw some small mistakes and we have to work on it" (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN TEAM MANAGER, JOACHIM LOEW SAYING:[approximate translation] "In the second half of the game I was still not satisfied with the first 20 minutes but after the 2-0 score we felt we were winning this game. Our goal of course is to get prepared for the World Cup and develop our game. We need to improve our play, have the ball for longer and this we managed to achieve after the twentieth minutes of the second half of this match." JOURNALISTS TAKING NOTES LOEW TALKING
  • Embargoed: 14th June 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Hungary
  • Country: Hungary
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAKW9Y4PCFU33VHV6BBD2FQ134
  • Story Text: Germany midfielder Sami Khedira stepped into injured captain Michael Ballack's boots with an impressive performance in their 3-0 win over hosts Hungary in a World Cup warm-up on Saturday (May 29).
    Germany's makeshift midfield, with Bayern Munich's Bastian Schweinsteiger being granted a few days of extra rest, looked strong with the 23-year-old Khedira in top form.
    Ballack was ruled out of the June 11-July 11 tournament in South Africa last week with an ankle injury.
    "He has a good quality also from this personality, and he has quality in his game. He knows his position, he is a good organisator and I am sure that he can play a very good World Cup and he is able to play there also for Michael Ballack," Loew told reporters at a news conference after the match.
    Khedira, who now looks set to partner Schweinsteiger in central midfield at the World Cup, was lively in his fourth international appearance, repeatedly slicing open the Hungarian defence at will with quick, accurate passing in the first half.
    "I was satisfied with most of these 90 minutes but not with the whole time. We have some things, I saw some small mistakes and we have to work on it," Loew said.
    Lukas Podolski fired Germany into an early lead with a powerful penalty and Mario Gomez added another in the 69th minute from close range before substitute Cacau netted his third goal in his last two matches with a fine solo effort in the 72nd minute.
    The margin of victory could have been much higher were it not for journeyman keeper Gabor Kiraly, who repeatedly denied the Germans with superb saves in the first half.
    His German counterpart, Manuel Neuer, had little work in his first match after winning the starting spot for the World Cup on Friday.
    Loew made a string of substitutions in the second half, including bringing on midfielder Marcell Jansen, who has recovered from an ankle injury in record time, as he considers which two players to cut from his preliminary 25-man squad by June 1.
    "In the second half of the game I was still not satisfied with the first 20 minutes but after the 2-0 score we felt we were winning this game. Our goal of course is to get prepared for the World Cup and develop our game. We need to improve our play, have the ball for longer and this we managed to achieve after the twentieth minutes of the second half of this match," the German coach added.
    Germany, who have been drawn in Group D alongside Serbia, Australia and Ghana at the World Cup in South Africa, play their last friendly against Bosnia in Frankfurt on June 3.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register