Another Germany-England meeting at the World Cup could mean more drama

Another Germany-England matchup awaits at WCup

RUSTENBURG, South Africa — Another Germany-England matchup at the World Cup brings back memories of classic moments that include a disputed goal in the final, the English losing a 2-0 lead, and a dramatic shootout win for the Germans.

The two teams meet in the round of 16 on Sunday and could well write another famous chapter in one of the World Cup’s most famous rivalries.

“It’s going to be a special game, there is so much history between us,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said. “It’s a team with many excellent players and a lot of experience. (Wayne) Rooney can explode any time. We’ll have a tough job.”

Neither showed its best with any consistency in the first round. The Germans followed a 4-0 rout of Australia with a 1-0 loss to Serbia and a 1-0 victory over Ghana to win Group D.

England drew 1-1 with the United States and 0-0 with Algeria before beating Slovenia 1-0 to advance as runner-up to the Americans in Group C.

Jermain Defoe, who scored England’s winner against Slovenia, said Thursday the players were trying to play down the rivalry.

“It would have been nice to have faced Ghana, but to win a major tournament, you’re going to have to beat the best,” he said. “But we’ll just approach it like any other game.

“It’s important to stay positive, this is the situation we are in. Germany are a great footballing nation, but we are a great side. We showed that yesterday.”

The first notable meeting was in perhaps the best-known title game of all, the 1966 final at Wembley, which England won 4-2. The game drew fame (for England) and infamy (for West Germany) for Geoff Hurst becoming the first — and still the only — scorer of a hat trick in the final, and for a controversial winner.

England came from behind to lead 2-1 going into the final few minutes, only for Wolfgang Weber to scramble for an equalizer for the Germans and send the game into extra time.

Then it was Hurst’s hotly disputed second goal that spurred one of the World Cup’s most talked-about incidents. The England striker hit the underside of the bar and the ball bounced downward. To the eyes of the England players, the ball crossed the line, and they turned away to celebrate a goal. The Germans were convinced it didn’t and appealed to the referee to consult his linesman.

He did and, to England’s delight and the Germans’ astonishment, Hurst was awarded the goal.

It is a goal the Germans still dispute 44 years later, and even though Hurst scored a fourth in the final few seconds, they maintain the game could have swung either way if the third goal was disallowed.

Four years later, the Germans gained some payback.

The teams met in the quarterfinals in Mexico and defending champion England led 2-0. The Germans got a goal back and England manager Alf Ramsey surprisingly took off one of the team’s most creative players, Bobby Charlton, to put on a more defensive player.

With Charlton off, England lost its attacking edge and the Germans scored twice more, punishing some shaky goalkeeping by England’s Peter Bonetti — a replacement for the reliable but sick Gordon Banks — to end England’s reign.

Twenty years later, they met again in the semifinals in Turin, Italy.

After a tense 1-1 draw, the game went to extra time and then penalties. With a place in the final beckoning, the Germans began what has become an amazingly consistent record in shootouts, winning it 4-3.

Germany won another semifinal shootout in 1996 before winning the European championship in England for its last major title.

“We’ll try to retain this tradition,” assistant coach Hansi Flick said.

Away from the World Cup, they have also had famous meetings in qualifying.

Chasing places in the 2002 tournament, Germany won 1-0 in the last game at the old Wembley, a result that led Kevin Keegan to quit that night as England coach.

Sven-Goran Eriksson took over and, when the teams met in the return in Munich, England dominated 5-1.

The winner of the 2010 version of the rivalry will face the winner of Argentina-Mexico.