The German’s evolved from a well-oiled machine into an offensive juggernaut as they dominated Australia 4-0 in World Cup action on Sunday in Durban.
Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose, Thomas Mueller and Cacau scored for Germany while the Australians failed to generate any semblance of an attack throughout the match.
Their lone scoring chance—and first of two total shots on goal—came in the opening minutes as Tim Cahill failed to convert a well-timed header that struck German captain Philipp Lahm on the goal line before being cleared out of danger.
But after that, it was all downhill for Australia.
Shortly after Cahill’s attempt, Podolski converted a cross-box feed from Mueller and blasted a screaming strike off Aussie keeper Mark Schwarzer’s hand and into the goal, giving the German’s a 1-0 lead eight minutes into the match.
German striker Miroslav Klose continued to swarm the penalty area as the half progressed, but he often found himself looking skyward after failing to convert on several excellent opportunities in close.
Klose finally got his redemption in the 26th minute after going airborne to connect on a beautifully struck cross by Lahm to give Germany a 2-0 lead.
Germany had another chance to extend the lead before the end of the half, as Klose sent in Mesut Oezil with a slick touch pass, but the young midfielder’s shot was denied by the well-placed boot of Aussie captain Lucas Neill.
Throughout the first half, it was difficult to differentiate the sound of Germany’s swarming attack from the ever-present buzz of the vuvuzela.
It was the same story in the second half, as Germany’s blanketing defence and blitzkrieg offence proved too much for the apathetic Aussies.
To make matters, Cahill was given a straight red card in the 55th minute after an aggressive tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger. As a result, Cahill will not be eligible to play in Australia’s next fixture versus Ghana.
Playing with a man advantage, Mueller put things out of reach in the 67th minute with a brilliant move in the box before striking a shot off the goalpost past a helpless Schwarzer, giving the German’s a 3-0 advantage.
After coming off the bench for Klose in the 68th minute, Brazilian born Cacau put the final nail in the coffin just minutes later, sealing a forgettable day for the outmatched Australians.
With the win, Germany is tied with Ghana atop Group D who beat Serbia 1-0 earlier in the day.
Germany will be back in action on June 18 against Serbia while the Australians will try and regroup before their match against Ghana June 19.