Germans to the fore

New Delhi, October 17
Captain Jann-Fiete Arp scored twice as Germany cruised into the quarterfinals of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup with a crushing 4-0 win over Colombia here today. Germany appeared to have gotten over the disappointment of losing to Iran in a league fixture as they dished out a dominant show to blank their South American rivals in a one-sided contest at the JLN Stadium. The Germans struck through Arp (7th and 65th minute), Yan Bisseck (39th) and John Yeboah (49th) to romp home with a comfortable victory margin. Colombia, despite enjoying the better ball possession, couldn’t find the back of the net as German goalkeeper Luca Plogmann stood like a wall to thwart all their attempts.
Germany-Brazil clash?
Germany’s victory puts them on course for a dream quarterfinal clash against three-time champions Brazil in Kolkata on October 22. The possible clash will firm up only after Brazil beat Honduras in their Round of 16 fixture. Germany, who had been handed a 4-0 drubbing by Iran last week, looked a completely changed outfit against Colombia, displaying the skills and conviction expected of them. The European side took control of the match right from the beginning, and took the lead in the seventh minute through Arp. The German skipper made the most of a defensive error from Colombian goalkeeper Kevin Mier as he lobbed the ball into the net. Mier failed to grab a loose ball lying close to Arp, and the tall striker didn’t waste any time in sending it into the net.
Colombia launched a series of attacks in search of an equaliser, but the forwards failed to finish the moves. The Germans, however, were not deterred and kept unleashing counterattacks. In the 34th minute, Yeboah came close to doubling the lead when his shot from the edge of the box hit the crossbar. The Germans, however, didn’t have to wait for too long to extend their lead as Bisseck headed home an accurate corner from Sahverdi Cetin just five minutes later. Germany went into the breather with a 2-0 lead.
All over for Colombia
Four minutes into the second half, Germany slammed the comeback door shut on Colombia when Yeboah slotted home a neat pass from Arp in the 49th minute. From here on, the Germans were all over the Colombian half, making the defenders work overtime to keep them at bay. Arp, however, piled on more misery on his opponents when he lobbed the ball over the running Colombian goalkeeper for his second goal of the day. It was Arp’s fourth goal in the tournament from as many games. With a victory as convincing as this, Germany have hit the top gear and would be a tough nut to crack in the quarters, even if it’s Brazil on the other side.