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Germany hit Saudis for eight

Klose celebrates the first of three goals
Klose celebrates the first of three goals  


SAPPORO, Japan (Reuters) -- Three goals from Miroslav Klose helped Germany to an 8-0 drubbing of dismal Saudi Arabia as the triple champions opened their World Cup campaign in stunning style at the Sapporo Dome on Saturday.

Two headed goals by Klose and a strike each from fellow striker Carsten Jancker and midfielder Michael Ballack enabled the Germans to lead 4-0 at halftime of their first group E game.

Klose completed the first hat-trick of these finals with another header after the break and defender Thomas Linke added a sixth in the 73rd minute before substitute Oliver Bierhoff (84) and Bernd Schneider (90) completed the humiliation.

They became the first team in 20 years to score eight in a finals match, Hungary having demolished El Salvador 10-1 in 1982 in Spain.

It was also Germany's biggest World Cup win and highest score in the finals, surpassing a 7-2 win over Turkey in 1954 when they first claimed the title.

Germany coach Rudi Voeller tried to put the win in perspective afterwards, though, saying: "We must keep our feet planted on the ground because our opponents today weren't that strong and we have to prepare well for our next two games."

Saudi Arabia had already had a few scares when Klose opened the floodgates with a diving header from close range in the 20th minute after Jancker had missed a bicycle kick from a cross from the left by Ballack.

Key playmaker Ballack, on despite a bruised foot, set up Klose with another cross which the Kaiserslautern forward headed home from the penalty spot in the 25th minute before celebrating with his trademark somersault.

Great chances

Ballack then made it 3-0 with a header from a Christian Ziege cross four minutes from the break and Jancker rapped in another right on the halftime whistle.

With nothing to fear at their own end, Germany appeared to relax in the second half and did not score until Klose headed from a Bernd Schneider cross in the 69th minute.

Linke inflicted more punishment on Saudi Arabia by heading home from a corner for his side's sixth goal four minutes later and Oliver Bierhoff grabbed one in his final World Cup with a strike from 30 meters out with six minutes to go.

A stunning free-kick 25 meters out just before the whistle from Schneider completed the scoring and Saudi Arabia's misery.

Germany, who had a disastrous first-round exit from Euro 2000 and had to qualify for these finals through the play-offs, top group E with three points, followed by Cameroon and Ireland, both on one point after drawing 1-1 in Niigata earlier on Saturday.

Coach Rudi Voeller's men, who needed to beat Ukraine in last November's playoffs to qualify, now face Ireland on Wednesday in Ibaraki.

Saudi coach Nasser Al-Johar put on a brave face afterwards: "Definitely we still have a chance. We promise our fans to do our best in the next two matches. It was a disastrous match for us."

Lineups:

Germany: 1-Oliver Kahn (c); 2-Thomas Linke, 21-Christoph Metzelder, 6-Christian Ziege, 22-Torsten Frings, 5-Carsten Ramelow (Jens Jeremies, 46), 8-Dietmar Hamann, 13-Michael Ballack, 19-Bernd Schneider, 9-Carsten Jancker (Oliver Bierhoff, 66), 11-Miroslav Klose.

Saudi Arabia: 1-Mohammed al-Deayea; 3-Redha Tukar, 4-Abdullah Sulaiman Zubromawi, 12-Ahmed Dukhi al-Dossari, 13-Hussein Sulimani, 8-Mohammed Noor, 16-Khamis Alowairan al-Dossari (Ibrahim al-Shahrani, 46), 17-Abdullah Alwaked al-Shahrani, 18-Nawaf al-Temyat (Abdulaziz al-Khathran, 46), 9-Sami al-Jaber (c), 20-Al-Hasan al-Yami (Abdullah Jumaan al-Dosary, 76).

Referee: Ubaldo Aquino (Paraguay).

Copyright 2002 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.






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