Germany's Sebastian Diesler leaps high to clear a header in front of England's Alan Shearer. AP 
 

반면 비어호프가 부상으로 결장한 ‘노쇠한 전차군단’독일은 1무1패로 8강진출을 확정한 포르투갈전(21일)을 이겨야 실낱같은 희망을 가질수 있게 됐다. 18일(이하 한국시간) 예선 최대 빅카드의 하나인 잉글랜드-독일전이 열린 벨기에 샤를르와 스테이드 커뮤널 스타디움. 

양국 팬들의 광적인 응원이 펼쳐진 이날 경기는 한마디로 종료휘슬이 울릴때까지 ’살얼음판’같은 드라마였다. 
 

포르투갈에 2-3으로 역전패한 잉글랜드와 루마니아와 무승부로 체면을 구긴 독일. 양팀이 필사의 배수진을 친 전반 초반은 경기 비중때문인지 탐색전으로 일관했다. 이후 양팀의 서로 위협적인 슛팅으로 상대문전을 두들기기 시작했다. 전반 35분 잉글랜드 오웬의 위력적 헤딩슛과 42분 베컴의 센터링을 스콜스가 가슴으로 트래핑한후 왼발슛이 칸 골키퍼 선방에 막혔다. 전반기록은 슛팅수 6-3, 코너킥 4-3, 파울 7-9에서 보듯 독일의 근소한 우세. 
 
이날 승리를 결정지은 것은 후반8분. 베컴의 자로잰듯한 센터링을 오웬이 수비를 유도해 시어러가 뛰어들며 헤딩슛으로 골네트를 흔들자 잉글랜드 팬들은 광적인 응원으로 축제분위기. 반격에 나선 독일은 후반12분 숄이 문전에서 골키퍼와 맞선 상황에서 회심의 오른발슛을 달렸으나 골대를 살짝 빗나가고 말았다. 

후반 16분 잉글랜드의 케빈 키건 감독(49)은 오웬을 빼고 제라르드로 교체, 수비를 강화 이날 경기를 반드시 승리로 이끌겠다는 각오를 보였다. 이에 맞서 작년대회 우승팀 독일은 총공세를 펼치며 잉글랜드 문전을 위협했으나 시먼 골키퍼 선방에 막혀 리벡감독(62)을 안타깝게 했다. 

90분간의 치열한 공방전을 펼친 양팀선수들은 종료휘슬이 울리자 유니폼을 서로 바꿔 입으며 ‘숙명의 라이벌 대결’을 마감했다 
 
이날 승리한 잉글랜드는 독일과의 역대 전적에서 10승5무8패로 앞서 나갔다. 
 
〈샤를르와(벨기에)외신종합 동아닷컴 김진호기자〉 
 
Long time coming  

Shearer powered in a far post header from David Beckham's cross in the 53rd minute to revive England's chances of qualifying for the quarterfinal and spark celebrations not only in the stadium but in millions of homes back in England. 

The result ended Germany's amazing domination over England in major championships in the past 34 years. The Germans had knocked the English out of the 1970 and 1990 World Cups and the 1996 Euros either in the quarters or the semis, and twice after penalty shootouts. 

"People back home have waited so long -- so have I -- this is magnificent," coach Kevin Keegan said. "I was only a kid the last time we beat them." 

"The character came through. It might carry us a long way through this tournament if we just believe in ourselves. I'm delighted for the fans." 
 
Commenting on Shearer, who came under pressure after not scoring in his past seven games for England, Keegan said: "He's answered his critics again. The fans love him but the critics don't. I just think he's the best at what he does and he's done it again tonight." 

Keegan, who played for several seasons for German club Hamburg after leaving Liverpool in the late 1970s, noted he was 12 years old when England last beat Germany in a championship. 

"The dream lives on," he said. "It was a real man's game. It wasn't the best technical quality. It called for spirit and commitment, to stand up and be counted. They did that." 

The Germans created plenty of shooting chances but couldn't get the ball past David Seaman in the England goal. Instead, Michael Owen had a first-half header pushed onto the post by German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. 

The victory gives England three points from two games, three behind Group A leader Portugal. The Germans, who tied 1-1 with Romania, have only one and must beat the Portuguese to survive. A draw with Romania would send England through. 

Veteran German defender Lothar Matth?us, who almost quit the team after pressure on him to step down at age 39, said the Germans paid the price for not making a breakthrough in the first half. 

"We could not force our way through in the second half," he said. "England capitalized on its chance; that is the difference. Now we have to do our utmost to make as much as possible of our limited chances to go through." 

German coach Erich Ribbeck said one piece of defensive slackness cost them the game. 

"We didn't deserve to lose. We were better in the first half," the under-fire coach said. 

"They scored and we didn't convert the chances we had in the second half. A little bit of inattention cost us the game. 

"We used to dominate [England] also because we had luck. Today we didn't have it," Ribbeck said. "This time it was the English who scored. We had three great chances and didn't. We are very disappointed. 

"We still have a minimal chance so we will do everything to get it." 

The game was played against a background of fan violence during the buildup, and English fans also attacked the police on their way out of the stadium. 

Some 500 English fans were detained and most of them deported for rioting in downtown Brussels on the eve of the game, as well as in Charleroi. Police also fired water cannons at English and German followers who began fighting in Charleroi's main square on the afternoon of the game. 

The Germans were forced to face the English without AC Milan striker Oliver Bierhoff, who suffered a calf muscle injury in training, while Real Madrid's Steve McManaman and Arsenal captain Tony Adams were sidelined for England after picking up injuries in the 3-2 loss to Portugal. 

Neither side was able to play in its traditional colors of white shirts, so both changed -- the Germans wearing dark green and the English with red shirts and white shorts. 

On a warm, sunny evening before a noisy crowd at the Stade du Pays de Charleroi, neither team troubled the goalkeeper until the 18th minute when Dietmar Hamann, who plays in England for Liverpool, fired an angled 20-meter (yard) drive that goalkeeper David Seaman clutched at the foot of the far post. 

With England unable to piece together any meaningful moves in the opening, Keegan's team finally came up with something to worry German captain Oliver Kahn. 

Philip Neville found Michael Owen with a left wing cross, and the striker's header was pushed onto the left post by Kahn. Sadly for England, no one was following up to turn in the rebound and the Germans escaped. 

After two yellow cards in a minute for England's David Beckham and Germany's Jens Jeremies, the English created another opening when Beckham's superbly weighted ball found Manchester United colleague Paul Scholes unmarked just inside the area, but the left foot shot was blocked by Kahn. 

Ziege fired a 20-meter free kick just too high at the start of the second half before England took the lead in the 53rd minute. 

Beckham fired in a well-weighted free kick that flashed past Owen, Scholes and their two markers on the bounce and Shearer, left unmarked wide of the far post, planted a powerful header across the goal and past the unprotected Kahn to spark celebrations among the English fans. 

The Germans almost leveled within a minute when Carsten Jancker neatly collected a cross from the right, and turned to fire a close range shot just too high from a tight angle. 

Then Mehmet Scholl took a deep pass and broke clear of the defense only for his shot to beat Seaman but roll just past the far post. 

England sent on 20-year-old midfielder Steven Gerrard for his Liverpool colleague Owen in the 61st minute and pushed Scholes into a forward position. 

But the Germans continued to create chances and, after goalkeeper Seaman had blocked a shot from Ulf Kirsten with his feet, the ball rolled clear to Jancker who shot wide from only 10 meters out. 

Lineups: 

England - David Seaman; Gary Neville, Sol Campbell, Martin Keown, Phillip Neville; David Beckham, Paul Scholes (Nick Barmby 72nd), Paul Ince, Dennis Wise; Alan Shearer, Michael Owen (Steven Gerrard 61st). 

Germany - Oliver Kahn; Markus Babbel, Lothar Matthaus, Jens Nowotny; Dieter Hamann, Jens Jeremies (Marco Bode 78th), Sebastian Deisler (Michael Ballack 72nd), Mehmet Scholl, Christian Ziege; Ulf Kirsten (Paolo Rink 70th, Carsten Jancker. 

Referee - Pierluigi Collina, Italy. 
 

July 30, 1966: The most famous showdown and probably the most controversial World Cup final. After 2-2 in regulation time, Geoff Hurst hits the underside of the crossbar in extra time and the ball bounces very close to the line. In or out? Goal or not? The referee, after a long wait, rules it a goal, England go on to win 4-2. The discussion hasn't stopped since then. The Germans say it wasn't, England says it was. 

June 14, 1970: World Cup quarterfinals in Leon, Mexico. England leads 2-0, Uwe Seeler equals with his famous header off the back of his head. Gerd Mueller scores the winner, 3-2 for Germany and the start of the streak. 

April 29, 1972: European Championship quarterfinals and Germany wins 3-1, its first victory at Wembley. At the time the championship was played under a different format, with home and away games. Germany later wins the title. 

June 29, 1982: First round at the World Cup in Spain, and a 0-0 draw. The only recent England-Germany game hardly worth remembering. 

July 4, 1990: World Cup semifinals in Turin, Italy. Germans will later call it the best game of the World Cup. The teams are tied 1-1 after extra time, England loses the penalty shootout (Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle are the culprits), Germany wins the title against Argentina. 

June 26, 1996: European Championship semifinals at Wembley, and a penalty shootout again (and again after 1-1 in extra time, with England squandering a 1-0 lead). And again England loses the shootout when Gareth Southgate's shot is saved by Andreas Koepke. Germany goes on to win the title against the Czech Republic. 

History gives Germans stranglehold  
 
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- England vs. Germany. It's a soccer soap opera that's been running for 34 years, still sells to packed houses, and dominates conversations, TV and newspapers for weeks at a time. 

Two nations for whom soccer is an institution still have vivid memories of Wembley (1966), Leon, Mexico (1970), Turin, Italy (1990) and back to Wembley (1996). 

The latest edition of soccer's eternal rivalry comes Saturday at Charleroi, Belgium, when the two soccer giants meet in a crucial game of the Euro 2000 championships. 

Both countries have been building up to this match ever since the draw was made in December. 

The game has also been awaited with dread by those who fear a bloodbath of violence between some of the world's most notorious soccer hooligans. 

Belgian security forces say they are well prepared, even though some of the country's own lawmakers and administrators are unhappy the game is being played in a 30,000-seat stadium considered too small and even unsafe for such a big match. 

On the pitch, previous England-Germany games have produced some of the greatest and most dramatic moments in soccer. 

There's something about an England-Germany confrontation which arouses the passions of two totally different cultures. 

Many English followers have the tired habit of digging up the history of World War II, even though most of them weren't even born between 1939-45. The pragmatic Germans see no reason to go back to the past - except when it comes to soccer games. 

The 1966 World Cup final at Wembley sticks out as England's one major triumph in international soccer. The fact that England beat the Germans in the final seems to make it even more satisfying. But that game gets the Germans' blood boiling. 

Even to this day, Germans are convinced that England's third goal, in extra time, didn't go over the line. Geoff Hurst's shot hit the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and came out again. The referee ran to the linesman and awarded the goal. 

Four years later in Mexico, the Germans gained the sweet satisfaction of ending England's reign as World Cup holder. England went two goals ahead in the quarterfinal game and seemed to be cruising to victory, but Germany struck back to win 3-2, also after extra time. 

England manager Alf Ramsey, who had led the team to its 1966 triumph, was fiercely criticized for taking off star midfielder Bobby Charlton with England leading 2-1. The Germans capitalized on the absence of such a talented player to equalize, score an extra time winner and reach the semifinals. 

Move on to Wembley 1972 and a European Championship quarterfinal game. Taking advantage of a tactical blunder by England, German playmaker Guenther Netzer produced a performance of individual brilliance to engineer a 3-1 German victory. It was Germany's first win at the home of English soccer. 

The next time the two teams met in a major championship was at Turin in the semifinal of the 1990 World Cup. 

A cruelly deflected free kick by Andy Brehme gave the Germans the lead but Gary Lineker equalized. The game went through 30 minutes of extra time with no more goals, forcing a penalty shootout. 

England's Chris Waddle fired over the bar and Stuart Pearce had his spot kick saved. The Germans didn't miss and went on to reach the final, beating Argentina for their third World Cup triumph. 

English fans remain convinced that, had their team won that shootout, England would have beaten Argentina for a second World Cup title. 

Six ore years went by before another confrontation, this time back at Wembley in the Euro 96 semifinals. 

Alan Shearer almost lifted the Wembley roof with an early goal only for the Germans to level through Stefan Kuntz. Both teams came close to scoring a sudden-death "golden goal" in extra time but again the game went to penalties. 

Gareth Southgate, a defender who had never taken a penalty before, stepped up to the spot at 5-5 after neither side had missed. His shot was saved and Germany's Andreas Moller followed with the winner. Germany then beat the Czechs in the final. 

At least there won't be extra time or penalties this time. The competition is still in the early, group stages. 

But the stakes are high. England, coming off a 3-2 defeat to Portugal in its first game, will be eliminated with a loss to Germany unless Romania upsets the Portuguese. The Germans, torn by key injuries and internal turmoil and with just one point from a lame 1-1 tie with Romania, can still just about make it if they lose. But they would then have to beat the talented Portuguese in their final group game to stand any chance of getting any further. 

There will be passion and tension in abundance, backed up by a wealth of soccer history. 

And chances are people will be talking about this game long after it's over.