- Title: UKRAINE: GERMANY WILL PLAY AGAINST UKRAINE IN THE FIRST LEG OF WORLD CUP PLAYOFF
- Date: 8th November 2001
- Summary: UKRAINE, KIEV (NOVEMBER 8, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. FANS OF GERMAN TEAM AND JOURNALISTS WAITING AT THE KIEV AIRPORT 2. VARIOUS OF GERMAN TEAM ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT, WALKING THROUGH THE AIRPORT BUILDING AND GETTING ON THE BUS 3. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS INSIDE BUS 4. VARIOUS OF GERMAN TEAM CHECKING INTO THE HOTEL KIEV, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 9, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 5. GERMAN TEAM COACH AND CAPTAIN AT THE PRESS-CONFERENCE 6. MEDIA 7. (SOUNDBITE) (German) RUDI VOELLER, COACH:"During this game, the first of the two which is taking place in Kiev, it's important not to get not to miss a goal and to score a goal ourselves. It's important to us. But there will be two games. Of course we will try to play as good as we can in Kiev, but the most important game for us is the one in Germany." 8. MEDIA 9. (SOUNDBITE) (German) OLIVER KANN:"Of course it will be an ideal situation if we can score a goal and not to miss one. We came here to win." KIEV, UKRAINE (NOVEMBER 9, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 10. VARIOUS OF GERMAN TEAM TRAINING Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 23rd November 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KIEV, UKRAINE
- Country: Ukraine
- Reuters ID: LVA7THTXI975Y27K4M3F9KDUDS3T
- Story Text: Three-times world champions Germany plan to play safe
against Ukraine in the first leg of their World Cup playoff on
Saturday as they bid to avoid being labelled the most
unsuccessful side in the country's history.
Germany, champions in 1954, 1974 and 1990, have never
failed to qualify for the World Cup finals.
The Germans say their tactics will be more
defensively-oriented than in previous games, with the focus on
counter-attack in the first leg. The two teams will clash
again in Dortmund next week.
"The trick is to stand fast and then go for it on the
break. Don't expect beautiful football but we do expect a
clear reaction to the last two weak games," said deputy coach
Michael Skibbe.
Germany are likely to play Hertha Berlin's Marko Rehmer,
Bayer Leverkusen's Jens Nowotny and Borussia Dortmund's
Christian Woerns in defence.
In midfield, Bayer Leverkusen's Bernd Schneider was a
possibility, while coach Rudi Voeller had yet to decide
whether Borussia Dortmund's Lars Ricken or Schalke 04's Gerald
Asamoah would play behind Bayern striker Alexander Zickler.
Germany are unlikey to man-mark Ukraine's influential
Andriy Shevchenko but Skibbe said the players would work
together to watch the AC Milan player.
"He generally starts in midfield and works his way
forward. We need to take away his strengths. Our best-case
scenario is that he doesn't get a shot on goal at all," said
Skibbe.
Franz Beckenbauer, who captained the 1974 World Cup
winners and coached the team that won in 1990, advised Voeller
to urge his players to take the initiative in the first leg.
"They should be thinking about going forward, even in
Kiev. From a strong defensive basis," Beckenbauer said this
week.
World politics, rather than football, kept the Germans out
of the 1930 and 1950 finals.
Saturday marks Germany's third match against Ukraine. The
previous two came during qualification for the 1998 World Cup.
Germany won 2-0 in Bremen and drew 0-0 in Kiev.
Germany coach Rudi Voeller, who admitted last week of
being under enormous pressure to beat Ukraine, said he and his
players knew all too well what was at stake in the two-legged
tie.
"No one denies, there's big pressure on all of us, and all
our players know the importance of these matches," he said.
"But the most important thing is not to let the fear of a
possible failure overcome you. Our most important weapon is
believing in ourselves, in our ability to beat Ukraine."
Voeller, who also said last week that he was particularly
worried about Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko, insisted that
he was not underestimating the rest of the Ukrainian team.
"There will be 10 other players beside Shevchenko on the
pitch and our job is to watch out for all of them," he said.
"But of course, he is the most dangerous threat. The Kiev
match is important, but everything will be decided in the
second leg in Dortmund next Wednesday," Voeller added.
German soccer federation chief Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder
said he was confident about the result but he put the match
into perspective.
"I believe we will win," he said. "But if we don't, life
in Germany will go on."
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