CCTV.COM 2002-06-25 14:06:59
European soccer giants Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Spain have all been squeezed out of the World Cup. That leaves Germany, as the sole remaining European power, with the heavy task of beating the Asian "Red Devils" in today's semi－final match.
Germany's coach Rudi Voller asked his players to relax and enjoy their playing before thousands of red－clad home fans in their clash with South Korea. Aware of the overwhelming home support for the Red Devils, Voller said he tried to ease the tension of young players such as forward Miroslav Klose and defender Christoph Metzelder. Captain Kahn is considered critical to German victory. Kahn said no matter what kind of judgments the referees gave them, Germany would focus on maintaining their strength and stamina throughout the entire game. This is the first time Germany has entered the World Cup semi－finals since 1990.
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of South Korean fans are continuing their super love affair with the national team, which trained just two days after their historic win over Spain. Head coach Guus Hiddink said the German side will pose different problems from those posed by the string of European teams the Koreans have already beaten. While Italy, Spain and Portugal display high levels of individual flair, Hiddink thinks the Germans are more efficient as a team.
Editor: Hope
Source: CCTV.com
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