Low: Germany let down by carelessness
Reuters - Thursday 28 June 2012, 23:35
Germany's once feared mental
strength let them down in their 2-1 Euro 2012 semi-final defeat
against Italy with coach Joachim Low and players blaming
moments of carelesness and a negative track record against the
Azzurri.
Italy forward Mario Balotelli struck twice to sink the
three-time European champions, who have never beaten their
southern European rivals in any eight of their tournament
meetings.
"The Italy hurdle proved to high for us today," said
34-year-old forward Miroslav Klose. "Maybe in the back of the
head we were thinking that we have never beaten them in a
tournament. It will take some time to digest this defeat."
Germany, the only team to go into the semi-finals with four
straight victories through the group stage and quarter-final,
had been determined to snap their bad run against Italy that
also included a bitter loss at the 2006 World Cup semi-final in
front of a home crowd.
Instead of setting up a final against holders Spain, who
beat Portugal on penalties on Wednesday, the Germans will return
home after playing their fourth straight major tournament
semi-final but again leaving empty-handed.
"It is always the same thing against Italy," German football
association president Wolfgang Niersbach told reporters. "At the
moment it is a feeling of despair."
Low said lapses in concentration proved to be their
undoing.
"Twice we were careless and twice we paid the price. After
that it was difficult to turn the match against a very good
team," a visibly shocked Low told reporters.
"We conceded the first goal after a cross that should never
have happened and we lost our concentration. After that we let
in another from a long ball where we should have closed the
spaces better."
Low, who led Germany to the Euro 2008 final and a third
place at the 2010 World Cup, said other than those two
concentration lapses his team fought "bravely" in an effort to
get back into the match.
"The air is very thin in the semi-finals and moments of
carelessness can decide a game at this level and this is what
happened to us," he said.
"I think we are all very disappointed but football always
continues and my players will find motivation to go after new
titles."