English referee Mike Riley denied Latvia two penalty claims as the outsiders
earned a draw against Germany.
Twice Riley refused to award spot kicks to Latvia as Germany survived a tough
examination in Porto's Estadio do Bessa.
Germany's hopes of progressing from the Euro 2004 'Group of Death' were
severely dented by a brave display by supposed outsiders Latvia.
Rudi Voller's side dominated in terms of possession but could not break down
the Latvians who showed as much spirit as they had in their 2-1 defeat by the
Czech Republic.
And it could have been worse than a goalless draw for the 2002 World Cup
runners-up.
Latvia had the best chance of the match when Oliver Kahn saved from Maris
Verpakovskis after a fine solo run while the Baltic side's forward also had two
second-half penalty claims turned down.
However, the Baltic team celebrated wildly at the end in another landmark
moment for the team playing its first major tournament.
The Germans now approach their final game with the Czech Republic - a rematch
of the Euro 96 final - knowing they can not afford another performance like
this.
The game had hardly started before Aleksandrs Isakovs was cautioned by English
referee Mike Riley for a foul on Torsten Frings on the touchline.
However, the first chance fell to Latvia when Christian Worns was penalised
for a foul on Verpakovskis on the edge of the box.
However, Vitalijs Astafjevs miscued his kick into the feet of the German
wall.
That stung the Germans into life and Frings fired over the bar from distance
after a neat passing move.
Worns then created a chance for Kevin Kuranyi with a long floated pass but the
Stuttgart striker fired wide.
Latvia were given another chance from a dead ball situation when Imants
Bleidelis was fouled on the edge of the box.
Andrejs Rubins tried his luck with his favoured left foot but his goalbound
shot was deflected behind for a corner.
Arne Friedrich was then cautioned for a cynical foul on Rubins who had surged
dangerously down the left flank.
But after 21 minutes Rubins' corner was headed goalwards by Igor Stepanovs.
forcing goalkeeper Kahn into action for the first time.
But Astafjevs fouled Philip Lahm to give Frings a chance from a free-kick but
the Latvian defence dealt adequately with the danger.
Then Fredi Bobic failed to get a good head on a Frings cross but Bernd
Schneider played the ball back into the danger zone and Kuranyi headed just
wide.
Schneider tried his luck again with a shot from distance but it sailed over
Alex Kolinko's crossbar.
Some lovely play from Friedrich almost let in Kuranyi but Stepanovs got in a
vital tackle.
Kolinko saved a long shot from Michael Ballack rather unconvincingly before
doing better to parry a Kuranyi effort.
Latvia finished the half well with a Worns header taking the ball from the
head of Andrejs Prohorenkovs after another surge down the left from Rubins.
From the resulting corner, the German defence had to scramble the ball away.
Then the Latvian number nine came close to what would have been the goal of
the tournament so far.
Receiving the ball from Prohorenkovs in the centre circle he turned Worns and
Frank Baumann and sprinted clear towards goal but his placed diagonal
left-footed shot was well saved by Kahn.
Dietmar Hamann was next to be cautioned and then Astafjevs fired over.
Bastian Schweinsteiger replaced Schneider at the interval and Germany started
the second half well.
Frings tried a shot that took a deflection off Fredi Bobic and Kolinko did
well to save.
Baumann then hooked wide from close range after Schweinsteiger's shot was
headed by Worns into his path.
Frings was then booked for a foul on Rubins before furious Latvia players
berated Riley for denying them a penalty when Verpakovskis fell after surging
between two German defenders in the box.
Schweinsteiger forced another save from Kolinko before Lahm fired over as the
Germans stepped up a gear.
Verpakovskis saw another sortie halted by robust German defending and again
Riley declined to intervene although this time the 'offence' may have been
outside the box.
Ballack tried another shot from a free-kick but Kolinko fisted it away while a
nice move involving Hamann and Bobic ended with the ball just eluding the
outstretched leg of Kuranyi.
Then came some substitutions as Marian Pahars replaced Prohorenkovs for Latvia
and then Miroslav Klose came on for Bobic.
Latvia then introduced Juris Laizans for Valentins Lobanovs.
Laizans and Schweinsteiger both miscued shots from promising positions.
Thomas Brdaric replaced Kuranyi as Germany coach Voller grew visibly more
agitated and Kahn did well to intercept a Verpakovskis cross that looked bound
for Pahars.
Verpakovskis had time to head the ball tamely at Kahn before being replaced by
Maris Smirnovs.
TeamsLatvia Kolinko, Isakovs, Zemlinskis, Stepanovs,
Blagonadezdins, Bleidelis, Lobanovs (Laizans 70), Astafjevs,
Rubins, Prohorenkovs (Pahars 67), Verpakovskis (Zirnis 90).
Subs Not Used: Korablovs, Miholaps, Pavlovs, Piedels,
Pucinskis, Rimkus, Smirnovs, Stolcers, Zakresevskis.
Booked: Isakovs, Astafjevs.
Germany Kahn, Friedrich, Worns, Baumann, Lahm, Hamann,
Schneider (Schweinsteiger 46), Ballack, Frings,
Bobic (Klose 67), Kuranyi (Brdaric 77).
Subs Not Used: Ernst, Hildebrand, Hinkel, Jeremies, Kehl,
Lehmann, Nowotny, Podolski, Ziege.
Booked: Friedrich, Hamann, Frings.
Att: 30,000
Ref: Mike Riley (England).
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