In fact, if Mario Gomez had done what he should have done after only four minutes, it would all have been done and dusted there and then. When he scooped the ball into the air from inside the six yard box, then stood back and let the defender head his pityful effort clear, he reminded me of a certain former Rangers striker, a man who has played a big part in bringing Andrius Velicka to our club. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for...Egil Ostenstad. Gimme peace!
Austria actually did manage to create a couple of interesting breaks but I'm afraid they always seemed to opt for the wrong pass or the wrong option, taking one touch too many when it might have been better to get the shot off fast. Only the arrival of Roman Keinast as a second half sub seemed capable of ruffling the Germans but, by then, they were 1-0 up and cruising. And by then both team bosses has been sent to the stand by the over-fussy Spanish referee Manuel Gonzalez, although what they'd seen to get all upset about is a mystery to me.
In the end an absolute peach of a goal, out of character with Germany's general performance, settled the issue. Michael Ballack didn't half strike the ball cleanly as he blasted his 49th minute free-kick high into the net from 30 yards. As the Austrians tried to save at least a point, they were vulnerable to swift counterattacks but the Germans didn't seem to have any great desire to kill the game. They will certainly need to improve beyond all recognition if they are to have any hope against Portugal on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, Croatia completed the formality of sending Poland homeward to think again with a Ivan Klasnic goal seven minutes into the second half winning the game. I wonder what sort of strop the holy goalie indulged in at the final whistle. Well, we all know what a bad loser he is so no doubt he threw the rattle out of the pram yet again. But will all these big clubs who are supposed to be checking him out want to spend good money on such an unstable character? Sure, he ain't a bad keeper but he is an accident waiting to happen, a sure-fire certainty to cause some sort of uproar just because he finishes on the losing side.
Croatia v Turkey on Friday promises to be a quarter-final worth watching. Neither side lacks genuine flair players but they've also got a few temperamental individuals in their ranks so it wouldn't surprise me in the least if this one goes off with a bit of a bang. The choice of referee could be very significant. Look out for a few cards being shown and suspensions could play a major part in affecting the chances of the winner (surely Croatia!) in the semi-final.
My money is on Portugal and Croatia to be on a collision course as we get down to the business end of the tournament.
LITTLE BOY BLUE