In what will be a surprise result if it holds up, Ukraine is beating Germany 3-1 at home thanks to a few artfully taken goals, and an absolutely terrible German defensive effort. The Ukrainians scored twice after mental errors, breaking quickly on the counter attack to catch the Germans sleeping on defense. While the goals came against the run of play--Germany was dominating the match thanks to some fantastic play from young superstar center midfielders Mario Goetze and Mesut Özil--they weren't entirely undeserved, as the Germans were exceedingly vulnerable at the back.
International Friendlies, Halftime Update: Ukraine Leads Germany 3-1; Holland, Switzerland Tied At Zero
Andriy Yarmolenko beat German keeper Ran-Robert Zieler in the 28th minute to put the Ukrainians on top; the goal came against the run of play, however, and the Germans seemed poised to equalize almost immediately afterwards. What actually followed, however, was a stunning series of events that lead to Ukraine’s second goal only minutes later: first, the Germans lost an easy ball in attack, and failed to track back as Ukraine countered. Yevhen Konoplyanka pushed home the cross, past a diving Ziegler--who may have tripped--and Ukraine had a shocking 2-0 lead in the 36th minute.
The Germans rallied, however, and found a goal only two minutes later as Toni Kroos blasted home a brilliant move in the 38th minute. However, in a genuinely stunning development, the Ukrainians scored again in stoppage time to send the Germans to the locker room losing 3-1: Serhiy Nazarenko slotted home another counter-attack in the 46th minute, sending Ziegler and company off the field in embarrassment.
In the Netherlands, Holland and Switzerland are in the midst of a gritty 0-0 draw reminiscent of Switzerland's World Cup performance against Spain: the Dutch have missed a series of chances, while the Swiss have maintained their rigid back line. We'll have updates for you as that game wraps up.
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