Germany wins second straight World Cup

By Gary Rose Special to PA SportsTicker

SHANGHAI, China (Ticker) - Germany won its second straight Women’s World Cup on Sunday, posting a 2-0 victory over Brazil at the Hongkou Football Stadium.

Play flowed from end to end throughout, but in the end goals from Birgit Prinz and Simone Laudehr ensured Germany a second successive world title.

Goalkeeper Nadine Angerer played a crucial role in the victory as she saved a second-half penalty from Marta before denying a free-kick with a superb save.

She also ensured that Germany completed an impressive feat by going through the whole tournament without conceding a goal.

“The whole team worked well together and I am very proud of them,” German coach Silvia Neid said. “Brazil had more of the game in the first half but we were working as a team especially in defense.

“We worked well together, there was a will not to concede any goals in the tournament. Everyone worked for each other and the result in this World Cup shows that it has worked well.”

Even before kick off the game promised to be an interesting encounter with Brazil, who had scored 17 goals in the five matches prior to the final, up against a miserly German defense.

The game got off to a lively start as Germany’s Kerstin Garefrekes sent a powerful drive into the side netting in the fourth minute.

And there was a nervous moment just three minutes later for the Europeans when Daniela’s teasing free-kick was palmed back into the dangerzone by Angerer but Brazil were unable to finish.

The action continued to swing from end-to-end as Sandra Smisek somehow managed to curl her effort wide with only the goalkeeper to beat in the 13th minute.

Ten minutes later Brazil were unfortunate not to take the lead when a rasping shot from Daniela struck the bottom of the post before the Saad midfielder headed over the bar.

Cristiane’s cross sailed just over the head of the lively Daniela in the 34th minute as Brazil’s pacey attack threatened to catch out the Germany defense as the half wore on.

The high tempo of the first half showed no signs of abating in the second period when Germany’s Melanie Behringer fired over from inside the box.

But the defending champions got the breakthrough they had been looking for in the 52nd minute when Smisek raced into the edge of the area, turned sharply before sending a fine pass to the unmarked Prinz who stroked the ball home.

Unsurprisingly the goal sparked a spell of pressure from the Brazilians as they searched for an immediate response.

Marta’s trickery and pace was a constant thorn in the German backline as time and again she tried to conjure an equaliser.

Then came a crucial point in the game when the Umea forward was denied from the penalty spot by Angerer.

A disappointed Brazil coach Jorge Barcellos felt Germany punished his side for too many missed chances.

“It was a very tough game for us and we missed a lot of very good chances whereas Germany only had a few chances but they took theirs well,” he said.

“This was especially important in the second half when we were one down and Marta missed such a critical penalty.”

Just after the hour mark Cristiane was brought down in the box and Marta stepped up to take the resulting penalty, but Angerer guessed right as she dived to deflect her shot to safety.

Angerer was again the hero moments later when she superbly palmed away a stinging free-kick from Brazil.

Germany themselves were still creating chances and Linda Bresonik sent a shot sailing over the bar with 15 minutes remaining.

And they made sure there was no chance of Brazil forcing extra-time when a corner in the 86th minute was headed on towards Laudehr, who sent a bullet header into the back of the net.

The United States finished in third at the 2007 Women’s World Cup after defeating Norway, 4-1, in the third-place game on Sunday.

The contest was played prior to the clash with defending champion Germany and Brazil in the title match. The Brazilians keep the Americans from a shot at their third World Cup title with a 4-0 victory in the semifinals on Thursday.

A pair of goals from Abby Wambach and further scores by Lori Chalupny and Heather O’Reilly ensured the game was over by 60 minutes although Ragnhild Gulbrandsen grabbed a consolation goal for Norway.

It was a strong finish for the United States following the off-pitch problems leading up to the game regarding goalkeeper Hope Solo’s public outburst after not being started in the loss to Brazil.

On Sunday, Solo was dropped from the squad with her apology clearly coming too late.

The United States had the first chance on goal in the second minute when Kristine Lilly’s effort sailed over the bar before her dangerous pass into the area from the by-line was scrambled away.

Wambach had appeals for a penalty waved away in the 16th minute when she fell in the box under a challenge from a Norway defender.

The European side should have at least hit the target three minutes later when Solveig Gulbrandsen’s cross found Melissa Wik unmarked in the area but the forward headed wide.

It was the United States that drew first blood when it opened the scoring in the 30th minute. Norway goalkeeper Bente Nordby punched away a corner but only as far as Chalupny, who sent a stinging shot towards goal that Wambach deftly diverted over the line.

Norway did have the ball in the back of the net shortly before halftime but it was ruled out for a foul on an American player.

It was unfortunate for the Scandinavians as they fell further behind straight after the break when Cat Whitehill’s volley from a corner hit a defender and bounced into the path of Wambach, who duly smashed home her second of the night.

And the Americans added a somewhat fortuitous third in the 58th minute when Ane Strangeland Horpestad’s clearance rebounded off the head of a U.S. player into the path of Chalupny, whose shot took a deflection off a defender on its way into the net.

Seconds later it was 4-0 when Lindsay Tarpley’s point-blank effort was saved by Nordby but she could only push it back into the danger area and O’Reilly pounced to smash the ball home.

The goals kept coming as Norway pulled one back in the 63rd minute as Gulbrandsen sent a looping header beyond the reach of Briana Scurry.