World Cup semifinalists ready for battle

BERLIN: Germany go up against Italy in Dortmund with a slot in the World Cup final at stake on Tuesday, while France and Portugal head for Munich and their clash on Wednesday in the second semifinal.

 

German hopes of reaching a second successive final were dealt a body blow late on Monday with news that midfield dynamo Torsten Frings would miss the game after being suspended.   

 

Frings was one of the players involved in a free-for-all at the end of the tense quarterfinal against Argentina in Berlin on Friday.   

 

Argentina's players have returned home but two of them -- Leandro Cufre and Maxi Rodriguez -- are under FIFA investigation for having instigated the brawl.   

 

Coach Jurgen Klinsmann must choose between the more attack-minded Tim Borowski of Werder Bremen and hard-tackling Sebastian Kehl of Borussia Dortmund to replace Frings, but either way he says he has the strength in depth to cope.

 

The Germans hope to draw advantage from the fans in Dortmund's atmospheric Westfalenstadion stadium, reputed to be among the most passionate in the country and where the national team has not lost in 14 games played there.   

 

"We are really looking forward to playing in Dortmund," said team manager Oliver Bierhoff.

 

"That will be a big advantage for us, since the atmosphere should be unbelievable. We have home advantage and that will really help us." 

 

The Italians have problems of their own.

 

They have once again lost experienced central defender Alessandro Nesta to a groin injury and the dark cloud of the football corruption scandal back home still hovers over the squad.

 

Coach Marcello Lippi, however, was more concerned with ruling out any sentiments of over-confidence among his players based on the 4-1 drubbing they handed out to the Germans in a friendly three months before the finals.   

 

"Straight after that match I sat down and told the players it would be a huge mistake to think the result was a true reflection of the difference between the two teams," said the former Juventus coach.

 

"It went well for us that night. We scored twice in the first seven minutes and after that we controlled the match.    "But Germany took it on the chin and that couldn't have been easy. Then they started to believe in themselves going into this World Cup and they have fully exploited the enthusiasm of the whole country."

 

While the Germans and Italians were ready to do battle, French and Portuguese players were heading south from their training camps in the north of the country to Munich where they will contest Wednesday's second semifinal.   

 

The 1998 champions France will start as heavy favourites especially if ageing skipper and midfielder Zinedine Zidane can reproduce the form he so brilliantly displayed in the 1-0 quarterfinal win over Brazil.

 

But the Portuguese players believe they have a special weapon in the burly shape of Brazilian coach Felipe Scolari.   

 

Scolari, who led Brazil to World Cup glory four years ago before taking over in Lisbon, is on a record 12-match unbeaten run in World Cup finals matches and he is the most imposing of coaches in Germany.   

 

"He gives us so much confidence," said midfielder Hugo Viana.

 

"He trusts us all and this helps. He has done a special thing with us in the World Cup and I hope we can stay with him for many years."