Germany Beat Belgium, End Euro Campaign 100%

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Germany World Cup winger THOMAS MUELLER (13) of Bayern Munich, who scored his eighth career international goal for Deutschland in Turkey last week, shields the ball from Belgium defender JAN VERTONGHEN (5) of Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam during the Euro 2012 Group A qualification match at the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf.
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European Championships Qualifying
October 11, 2011

3 – GERMANY ————— Oezil 30′, Schuerrle 33′, Gomez 48′
1 – BELGIUM —————– Fellaini 86′

Three well-taken goals inside of eighteen minutes was all that was required to enable three-time European champion GERMANY to see off neighboring BELGIUM 3-1 and finish with the 100% percent record of ten wins from ten qualification matches for the 2012 UEFA European Championships to be hosted jointly this upcoming summer by Poland and the Ukraine.

The Belgians actually needed to win very badly in order to have a realistic shot at second place in Group A and a subsequent playoff opportunity but fell behind just one half hour into the match. Real Madrid midfield legionnaire SAMI KHEDIRA laid a ball off for Spanish La Liga teammate MESUT OEZIL to rocket a rising left-footer past Belgium goalkeeper SIMON MIGNOLET of English Premier League side AFC Sunderland. The 22-year-old Oezil, who missed the last Euro qualifier in Turkey as a result of a minor Achilles tendon injury, showed no signs of last damage and netted his seventh career goal on his 28th international appearance for Germany.

A second goal for Germany effectively took whatever wind may have been in the sails of Belgium away for good with a lightning fast break just three minutes later. Bayern Munich goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER punched away a corner kick taken by Belgium winger EDEN HAZARD of defending French Ligue 1 champion OSC Lille; Oezil controlled the top of the box and quickly played Germany international striker MARIO GOMEZ of Bayern Munich away. At the midfield line, the Bundesliga Torjaegermeister released youthful Bayer Leverkusen winger ANDRE SCHUERRLE, who raced in all alone and confidently chipped over Mignolet to score his fifth goal in only ten matches for Germany.

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Germany central defender MATS HUMMELS (5) of defending Bundesliga champion Borussia Dortmund, the 22-year-old former Bayern Munich reserve team player making his tenth career international appearance, flashes in to halt the progress of Belgium midfielder MAROUANE FELLAINI (8) of English Premier League club FC Everton during the Euro 2012 Group A qualfier at the Esprit Arena.
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Gomez, who led the Bundesliga with 28 strikes last season and currently leads the German top flight with eight goals already this term, added a third goal for Germany just three minutes into the second half. The 26-year-old poacher exchanged passes with Oezil before rifling a low, left-footed laser off the hand of the diving Mignolet and inside the far post to score his second goal in as many international matches. Overall, Gomez now boasts 21 goals from 49 appearances with the national team.

Belgium grabbed a late goal with less than five minutes to play when midfielder MAROUANE FELLAINI of English club FC Everton beat Germany defender PER MERTESACKER, who also plays professionally in the Premier League with FC Arsenal in London after transferring from Werder Bremen this past August, to a corner kick at the near post.

Germany and trainer JOACHIM LOEW established a new measure of excellence for the national team program with a perfect ten victories from ten qualification matches; previously, West Germany had won all eight of its games on the road to the 1982 FIFA World Cup final tournament held in Spain.

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With club teammate and national team captain PHILIPP LAHM (16) on the line guarding the back post, Germany World Cup goalkeeper MANUEL NEUER of Bayern Munich punches the ball away from a pair of would-be Belgian goal scorers currently plying their trade in the English Premier League, midfielder MAROUANE FELLAINI (8) of Liverpool’s FC Everton and striker ROMELU LUKAKU (18) of London’s FC Chelsea, during the Euro 2012 Group A qualification match at the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf.
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GERMANY
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goal — Manuel NEUER (Bayern Munich / 24 caps)

defense — Benedikt HOEWEDES (Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen / 5 caps, 0 go), Per MERTESACKER (FC Arsenal – Eng / 78 caps, 1 go), Mats HUMMELS (Borussia Dortmund / 11 caps, 0 go), Philipp LAHM (Bayern Munich / 85 caps, 4 go)

def mf — Sami KHEDIRA (Real Madrid – Spa / 22 caps, 1 go), Toni KROOS (Bayern Munich / 22 caps, 1 go)

att mf — Thomas MUELLER (Bayern Munich / 23 caps, 8 go), Mesut OEZIL (Real Madrid – Spa / 28 caps, 7 go), Andre SCHUERRLE (Bayer Leverkusen / 10 caps, 5 go)

att — Mario GOMEZ (Bayern Munich / 49 caps, 21 go)

substitutes
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mf – Marco REUS (Borussia Moenchengladbach / 2 caps, 0 go)
for Mueller – 71st min
fw – CACAU (Vfb Stuttgart / 20 caps, 5 go)
for Gomez – 76th min
mf – Ilkay GUENDOGAN (Borussia Dortmund / 1 cap, 0 go)
for Lahm – 84th min

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Euro ’80 Final : Hrubesch Heads West Germany To Glory

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West Germany striker HORST HRUBESCH (right) of SV Hamburg heads a late corner kick past Belgium goalkeeper JEAN-MARIE PFAFF of SK Beveren to score what would remain the most important goal of his international career in the waning minutes of the 1980 UEFA European Championships Final from the venerable Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
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Known as der Ungeheuer, HORST HRUBESCH of Bundesliga club SV Hamburg had often been labeled as good in the air but of little value otherwise. Indeed, the veteran 29-year-old striker had never even managed an international goal prior to the Final of the 1980 UEFA European Championships in Rome. However, at the final hurdle, the Monster literally rose up to wreck the title aspirations of Belgium and hand West Germany the coveted trophy in the end.

Hrubesch did not score for SV Hamburg after coming on as a substitute for the second half of the 1980 European Cup Final against English side Nottingham Forrest less than a month prior to the Euro ’80 Final. But, on his fifth international appearance for Deutschland, the massive central striker did find the back of the net for West Germany only ten minutes into the match with Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Demonstrating some genuine skill and settling a chip from impressive 21-year-old midfielder BERND SCHUSTER, a rising star with 1.FC Koeln, Hrubesch hammered a low shot past Belgium goalkeeper JEAN-MARIE PFAFF of SK Beveren into the far right corner to provide the early lead.

But for Pfaff, who later signed with Bundesliga club Bayern Munich following another standout showing at the 1982 FIFA World Cup final tournament in Spain, the West Germans would have extended their advantage.

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Sliding along the turf at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, West Germany sweeper ULI STIELIKE of Spanish La Liga giant Real Madrid watches as Belgium striker FRANCOIS VAN DER ELST of RSC Anderlecht, who crossed the Atlantic Ocean to join Franz Beckenbauer with the New York Cosmos in the old North American Soccer League after the final tournament in Italy, goes to ground inside the penalty area during the 1980 UEFA European Championships Final at the Stade Olimpico in Rome.
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The Belgians would benefit from a questionable refereeing decision with just a little over a quarter of an hour to be played in the match. While Belgium striker FRANCOIS VAN DER ELST of RSC Anderlecht was clearly fouled by West Germany sweeper ULI STIELIKE of Spanish La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid, the infraction appeared to take place just outside the penalty area. Nevertheless, a spot kick was awarded by Romanian referee NICOLAE RAINEA and summarily converted by Belgium midfielder RENE VANDEREYCKEN of Club Brugge to tie the game.

Extra time looked to be a very real possibility at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome as West Germany’s KARL-HEINZ RUMMENIGGE went to take a corner kick in the 89th minute of regulation. According to legend, the 24-year-old Bayern Munich striker boldly predicted the winning goal for the cameramen at the left corner flag and then proceeded to deliver a perfect cross for Hrubesch. Rummenigge, who was the top scorer with 26 goals in the Bundesliga that season, would later be selected as the winner of the 1980 Ballon d’Or representing the European Player of the Year.

West Germany extended its current unbeaten streak to 19 matches with the triumph over Belgium in Italy and claimed its second European title in the last three championships contested … Hrubesch later signed with Standard Liege the summer after winning the European Cup with SV Hamburg in 1983 and spent two seasons in the Belgian top flight before finishing his career with Borussia Dortmund.

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Elated West German players surround HORST HRUBESCH (center) immediately after the SV Hamburg striker’s headed goal off of a corner kick from the not-pictured Bayern Munich striker Karl-Heinz Rummenigge gives the 1972 champion and 1976 runner-up a very late lead against Belgium in the 89th minute of the 1980 UEFA European Championships Final at the venerable Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
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1980 UEFA European Championships Final
Stadio Olimpico — Rome, Italy

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EM ’80 Finale – die Mannschaft von Belgien

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The surprising national team of BELGIUM pause for the traditional team photograph just prior to the start of the 1980 UEFA European Championships Final opposite next door neighbor West Germany at the venerable Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.

back row (left to right) —— 11 – J. CEULEMANS, 12 – J.M. PFAFF, 4 – W. MEEUWS, 3 – L. MILLECAMPS, 7 – R. VANDEREYCKEN

front row (left to right) —— 8 – W. VAN MOER, 2 – E. GERETS, 6 – J. COOLS, 17 – R. MOMMENS, 5 – M. RENQUIN, 9 – F. VAN DER ELST
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BELGIUM
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GK – 12 – Jean Marie PFAFF ——————- SK Beveren (64 caps, 0 go)

DF —- 2 – Eric GERETS ————————— Standard Liege (86 caps, 2 go)
DF —- 3 – Luc MILLECAMPS —————— KSV Waregem (35 caps, 0 go)
DF —- 4 – Walter MEEUWS ——————– Club Brugge (46 caps, 0 go)
DF —- 5 – Michel RENQUIN ——————– Standard Liege (55 caps, 0 go)

MF —- 6 – Julien COOLS ————————– KV Beerschot (35 caps, 2 go)
MF —- 7 – Rene VANDEREYCKEN ——— Club Brugge (50 caps, 3 go)
MF —- 8 – Wilfried VAN MOER ————— SK Beveren (57 caps, 9 go)
MF – 17 – Raymond MOMMENS ————- SC Lokeren (18 caps, 0 go)

FW —- 9 – Francois VAN DER ELST ——– RSC Anderlecht (44 caps, 14 go)
FW – 11 – Jan CEULEMANS ——————– Club Brugge (96 caps, 23 go)

substitutes
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none

Belgium progressed to the Final of the 1980 UEFA European Championships by narrowly topping Group B of the final tournament staged in Italy. In a bracket which also included England and Spain, the Belgians under trainer GUY THYS finished level with the host nation on four points from one win and two ties after three matches. While both teams shared a goal differential of plus one in the group, Belgium edged the Italians — who kept the sheet clean in all three of their games — by virtue of having scored more goals in their three matches.

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Belgium striker JAN CEULEMANS (11) of Club Brugge, who equalized for the Red Devils in the 1-1 draw with England to open Group B play at the final tournament in Italy, is confronted by West Germany defender KARL-HEINZ FOERSTER of Vfb Stuttgart with midfielder HANS-PETER BRIEGEL (2) of 1.FC Kaiserslautern trailing in the background during the Final of the 1980 UEFA European Championships at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.