2007 Women's World Cup Final

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Deutschland Uber Alle - Again!

by Jeremy Ruane

Germany became the first nation to retain the FIFA Women's World Cup at the Hongkou Football Stadium in Shanghai on September 30, as they dashed Brazil's hopes of a maiden crown by dousing the South American challenge 2-0 in the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup Final.

Billed as a classic final between the competition's most entertaining and most resilient teams, millions of televisions in over two hundred countries around the world joined the sell-out 31,000-strong crowd in the ground in being enthralled by a compelling contest which saw both teams playing to their strengths.

The Brazilians were first to flex their attacking muscles in the fourth minute, Marta firing a twenty-five yarder right down the throat of German goalkeeper Nadine Angerer, who had yet to concede a goal in the entire tournament going into this match.

Her clearance saw Birgit Prinz, the first player to grace three FIFA Women's World Cup Final fixtures, breaking down the left, from where she picked out Kerstin Garefrekes' run towards the Brazilian penalty area with a splendid cross-field ball. The tall flank player thrashed her shot into the side-netting from inside the area.

Back came Brazil, who were awarded one of forty-four free-kicks in the match by Australian referee Tammy Ogston in the eighth minute. Daniela stood over the ball, and whipped in a delivery which Angerer could only parry.

Formiga swooped on the loose ball, and prodded it past the `keeper but just past the far post from six yards - it only needed a touch and Brazil would have been in front.

The Germans responded to that let-off with a glorious move in the fourteenth minute. Angerer threw the ball out to Linda Bresonik, who surged out of defence and over the half-way line at pace, before linking with Simone Laudehr and racing forward for a return pass.

It duly arrived from the German midfield anchor, allowing the full-back to direct a pass into the path of Sandra Smisek, who was in yards of space in the Brazilian penalty area, the arrival of Bresonik upon the scene having thrown the South American's diamond-shaped defensive system into disarray.

Smisek had set her sights set on the top far corner of the net, and duly curled a shot towards it. Brazilian goalkeeper, Andreia, looked on with relief as the ball arced over the angle of bar and post - a real let-off for the first-time finalists, to match that endured by the reigning champions minutes earlier.

The resulting goal-kick saw Renata Costa release Marta with an early ball forward, but Angerer was wise to that idea, as well as the long-range effort of Formiga in the 23rd minute, which followed hard on the heels of another Bresonik-inspired opening at the other end of the park, one which culminated in Garefrekes heading Melanie Behringer's cross past the far post.

Germany's rock-solid defence, in which Kerstin Stegemann, Annike Krahn and Ariane Hingst were all imperious, prompted Brazil to attempt to capitalise on their greater share of possession by resorting to long-distance shots, such was the difficulty they were encountering in attempting to penetrate the tournament's most miserly rearguard.

But every so often, they did plot a path through the maze. In the 24th minute, Daniela unleashed a fulminating volley which left Angerer beaten all ends up from twenty yards, only to cannon back into play off the inside of the `keeper's right-hand post.

Marta picked up the pieces and picked out Daniela with her cross, but the midfielder headed over the bar - a real let-off for the Germans, who set off downfield immediately, Garefrekes leading the charge after pouncing on a defensive blunder by Tania. She raced on before crossing to the far post, where Behringer was unable to control the delivery with the goal frame looming large ahead of her.

The player soon to be declared winner of both the Golden Ball, as Player of the Tournament, and Golden Shoe, as its top scorer, buccaneered down the right in response to this, and after weaving her way through three challenges, Marta found herself one on one with Angerer, deep in Germany`s penalty area, near the by-line.

The goalkeeper prevailed on this occasion, but the officials bizarrely awarded a goal-kick in her favour, rather than the corner kick which Marta's magic merited at the very least - referee Ogston made a few weird and far from wonderful decisions in this match, the climax of a tournament in which the officiating in general can most kindly be described as a veritable mixed bag.

Ten minutes before the interval, Marta delved into her copious bag of tricks once more and came up with another gem, which resulted in three German opponents trailing in her wake.

She played the ball wide to Cristiane on the left flank, who clipped in a lovely cross, only for the ball to fly just beyond Daniela as she closed in for a header. Marta retrieved the sphere and fired in a cross which was headed clear by Krahn, one of a handful of players in this squad who could, quite feasibly, be around for the next three FIFA Women's World Cup Finals tournaments.

Laudehr, another of this group, sent a twenty-five yarder skidding wide soon afterwards, following an interchange between Garefrekes and Renate Lingor, Germany's midfield general, who, up to this point, had been generally quiet, although her influence on proceedings was soon to become quite significant.

Before she had the chance to instigate the moves which turned the game the reigning champions' way, Brazil enjoyed one more opportunity before the half-time whistle. Tania picked out Marta with an early ball forward, one which the striker controlled well. But Krahn - an immense performance - stepped in to deny her, thereby ensuring this captivating encounter would be goalless at the interval.

Right from the start of the second half, Germany upped the ante, and tore into the Brazilians with a vengeance. Within twenty seconds of the resumption, Lingor, Prinz and the overlapping Bresonik had teamed up to create an opening for Smisek, Brazilian captain Aline having contributed to it by slicing an attempted clearance goalwards. Andreia saved at the feet of the striker.

Two minutes later, Germany pressed again, Lingor leading the way. Her free-kick picked out Krahn's head, but her effort was blocked. The rebound fell to Behringer, who volleyed over, three minutes before she found herself in between defenders thanks to the combined efforts of Prinz and Laudehr.

Renata Costa stepped in to deny her on this occasion, but could do nothing to prevent the destiny of the trophy taking a huge swing Germany's way in the 52nd minute.

Not surprisingly, Lingor was the instigator - she had

grabbed hold of the midfield battle and given it a right old shake-up since the interval, and Brazil simply didn't have any answers to her at this point. But the number ten had questions aplenty to ask, and this one invited Stegemann to surge forward from her right full-back role before playing in Smisek down the right.

The striker checked and turned, Brazil's defensive diamond having again been pulled asunder as a result of the attacking fullback's intervention. There was a gaping hole near the edge of the penalty area bereft of “Canarinhas”, and Smisek was delighted to see Prinz surging into it.

An inch-perfect pull-back into the path of the three-time FIFA Women's Player of the Year saw the most prolific markswoman in the history of the tournament let fly with a first-time effort.

It's not the cleanest shot she's ever struck, but Prinz couldn't have cared less as she saw the ball fly under the late-diving Andreia and into the back of the net from fifteen yards - 1-0 Germany, courtesy a 52md minute goal from their captain.

Brazil sought a swift response, with Formiga releasing Marta with a sumptuous pass from half-way just two minutes later. The striker was superbly thwarted by Krahn, who was next seen in action at the other end of the park, Lingor having picked her out with a pinpoint corner. The unmarked defender directed her header wide of the mark.

Back surged Brazil, Elaine leading the charge down the right before picking out Daniela with her cross. Krahn - who else? - stepped in to thwart her, but she was caught out in the 62nd minute, as Formiga sent Cristiane haring into the penalty area with another neat pass.

Bresonik lunged at the striker and sent her tumbling, an action which prompted referee Ogston to point unhesitatingly to the penalty spot. The defender was distraught, realising instantly that their no goals against record was very much on the line over the course of the next few seconds.

Angerer knew it too, and so did the penalty taker, who would all but confirm the Golden Shoe if she put this effort away. Up Marta stepped, and fired it to her left, Angerer's right. The `keeper guessed correctly, and parried the ball to safety, much to the delight of her team-mates, Bresonik particularly.

Brazil were stunned, Marta most visibly, having squandered the chance which would have set up a thrilling climax to this enthralling encounter. But within five minutes, they had another chance to equalise, only after Smisek had rattled the sidenetting following a neatly worked free-kick between Stegemann and Lingor.

In the 67th minute, Brazil were awarded a free-kick some twenty-five yards out from goal. Up stepped Daniela, only for Angerer to fling herself to her right and tip the effort onto the post and out for a corner.

The seemingly unbeatable `keeper then punched the resulting corner off the head of Tania, to leave the Brazilians wondering what they had to do to get back on level terms. Their answer was to continue playing their natural attacking game, and in the 73rd minute, they went close again, Elaine and Cristiane combining on the right, with the latter's cross arcing just over Daniela's head once again.

Prinz and Laudehr responded by engineering an opening for Bresonik, who surged past three opponents before thundering a shot over the bar. Brazil retorted with a splendidly conceived and quickly taken free-kick, Daniela's lobbed delivery catching Germany unawares. Cristiane held the ball up before laying off to Marta, whose twenty-yarder sizzled past the post.

The South Americans brought on another of their big guns - Pretinha would be a certain starter in just about any other team which has contested this World Cup, such is her ability. But before she had the chance to make an impact, the destiny of the trophy was determined once and for all.

Fatmire Bajramaj entered the fray seconds before Pretinha, and the speedy youngster again made a crucial intervention to turn the match Germany's way - Silvia Neid's astute use of the Kosovo-born rising star throughout this tournament has played a big role in the Germans' ability to produce strong finishes in each of their matches during China 2007.

On this occasion, the corner Bajramaj earned was taken by Lingor, who fired in another inch-perfect delivery. Laudehr timed her run and leap to perfection, and her 86th minute header bulleted wide of the diving figure of Andreia to spark off celebrations galore for the reigning European champions, who, now 2-0 to the good, were almost home in their quest to win the Women's World Cup again.

They had to survive more pressure from Brazil - a thirty yard stoppage time free-kick from Daniela was grabbed greedily by Angerer - and went close to adding a third goal when Smisek ghosted in onto another Lingor free-kick, only to direct her header straight at Andreia.

But the world champions had done more than enough, and the sound of the final whistle capped a fabulous tournament for them, one in which they did not concede a single goal, scored a Finals record victory in routing Argentina 11-0 in its opening game, and netted twenty-one goals in all, the two most significant of which earned them back-to-back FIFA Women's World Cups, another unprecedented feat.

Brazil's despair was eased a tad by the confirmation of Marta as winner of both the Golden Shoe and Golden Ball - Cristiane won the Bronze Ball in the Player of the Tournament stakes, and by their confirmation as the Most Entertaining Team at China 2007.

These awards were presented during a super-slick awards ceremony held immediately after the Women's World Cup Final. As well, Norway were presented with the Fair Play award, Nadine Angerer the Top Goalkeeper award, and German team-mate Birgit Prinz with the Silver Ball.

The USA's Abby Wambach won the Silver Shoe, and Norway's Ragnhild Gulbrandsen the Bronze Shoe. Both scored in the Third Place Play-off, which the USA won to earn the bronze medals.

And after Brazil had stepped up to receive their silver medals, and Germany their gold ones, FIFA President Sepp Blatter handed over the most prized trophy in women's football to German captain Birgit Prinz, sparking off an explosion of gold ticker-tape and a flurry of fireworks around the roof of the Hongkou Football Stadium to mark the crowning of Germany as FIFA Women's World Cup winners once again.

Germany: Angerer; Stegemann, Krahn, Hingst, Bresonik (booked, 63); Carefree (booked, 7), Lingor, Laudehr, Behringer (Mueller, 74); Prinz, Smisek (Bajramaj, 80)

Brazil: Andreia; Elaine, Aline (Katia, 88), Tania (Pretinha, 81); Ester (Rosana, 63), Formiga, Renata Costa, Daniela (booked, 59), Maycon; Marta, Cristiane

Referee: Tammy Ogston (Australia)

2007