Euro 2004 Qualifier: Faroe Islands vs Germany

[fidanzata d'italia]

06/10/2003.

Germany will be desperate to bounce back from their drab 1-1 tie against Scotland last week with a comprehensive victory against the fledgling footballing amateurs from the Faroe Islands.

The 47'000 football crazed inhabitants of this rocky archipelago of eighteen islands have built Wednesday's qualifier up as the biggest game of their history and genuinely believe that their national team can pull of an almighty upset. This due to the fact that they came within the width of a post of snatching a point in Hannover last autumn – the match ultimately ended 2-1 in favour of the Germans – and that they were so unluckily defeated in extra-time during their first competitive match against Iceland last round.

"The Faroese proved that they can hold their own by so nearly taking a point from Iceland on Saturday so it is of tantamount importance that we approach tomorrow's game with the right attitude and give it our all for 90 minutes," stressed DfB-boss Rudi Voeller ahead of Wednesday's match.

Germany captain Oliver Kahn also made sure to warn against the consequences of complacency and urged his teammates to show the 113th positioned nation in Fifa's world ranking respect. "We must not forget that they gave us great difficulty in Hannover," the Bayern shotstopper began to explain. "What makes things tougher is that everybody expects us not only to win, but to win big."

The Faroe Islands' Danish coach Henrik Larsen was not impressed with how focused the Germans appeared during the pre-match press conference however. "I truly believe that we can cause a sensational upset," he said. "Our opponents always set out not to take us lightly but they always end up doing so anyway."

While Voeller will take strength from the return of his star-performer Michael Ballack from injury, his counterpart Larsen will have to reckon without one of his reliable strikers Andrew av Flötun, who has been suspended as the result of one too many yellow cards.

soccerage.com

[Carson35]

Euro 2004 Qualifier Reaction: Voeller Could Have Done Without The Drama
Faroe Islands - Germany | Latest News | News Archive

Rudi Voeller (Allsport)
06/11/2003.
Germany coach Rudi Völler was visibly relieved after his side left it excruciatingly late to defeat the footballing minnows from the Faroe Islands thanks to goals by Klose and Bobic.

"I never stopped believing in the win," insisted the former Roma star. "The boys made it a little too dramatic for my liking but I have to say they gave me little to complain about.

"Perhaps in the first-half we were a little too casual," he continued, "but after the break we were so dominant that we practically could have played without a keeper."

Despite presenting himself as satisfied with the result, Völler concluded by stating that he expects far more from his team in the future.

"All in all I am far from content with how we have played in the year since finishing as first runners-up in the World Cup," he admitted. We have under-performed on too many occasions and have shown an unsettling lack of style. It is important to me that we not only get the points but play attractive football doing so."

soccerage

[Carson35]

Euro 2004 Qualifier Report: Germany Almost Become Part Of Faroese Folklore
Faroe Islands - Germany | Latest News | Match Report | News Archive

Klose proved the Faroe Islands' undoing again (Allsport)
06/11/2003. Germany were spared a humiliating scoreless draw in the Faroe Islands thanks to a pair of very late goals by Miroslav Klose and Fredi Bobic.

Rudi Voeller had gone to great lengths to warn his side not to take their amateur opposition lightly yet the World Cup finalists from just under a year ago struggled mightily to find the key to unlock their opponents heavily reinforced defense.

This match was billed as the biggest in the Faroe Islands' footballing history and the tiny country's 47'000 inhabitants came within minutes of marking the occasion with what undisputedly would have been their national team's best-ever result.

Their heroic defensive resilience was rendered pointless by Miroslav Klose, however, who rose highest and strongest to head home a curling cross by Neuville on 89 minutes. The Kaiserslautern striker had bagged a decisive goal when the two teams last met in Hannover and proved their undoing again just over twenty minutes after having come on as a substitute for Jeremies.

Bobic then sealed the brave hosts' fate deep into injury time by completing the 2-0 scoreline with an emphatic finish following yet another dangerously delivered ball by Neuville.

The cruel loss all but put an end to Faroese dreams of qualifying for Euro 2004, while Germany moved three steps closer to Portugal after having put some light of day between themselves and Scotland.

soccerage

[Adriano]

Surprising how Germany struggled to beat the Faroe Islands on both occasions. We all remember the first match in Germany when it was a narrow 2-1 win to the Germans with the shopkeeper almost giving Faroe Islands the draw after he hit the post and now this match with Germany needed two goals in the final minutes. Are the Faroe Islands really an improved side? Especially after their draw with Scotland as well.

[gautam]

I think its the usual German style. They'll Struggle through the qualifiers and then end up winning the tournament. Keep the faith, boys !

In case anybody saw this game, what were the team lineups?

[fidanzata d'italia]

this were the team lineups for Germany:

--------------------Kahn

-----Friedrich--Ramelow--Worns

Freier---Jeremies-----Kehl---Rau

----------------Schneider

------------Bobic------Neuville