GER: Stefan Kuntz (16).
PENALTIES (second): Thomas Haessler 1:1, Thomas Strunz 2:2, Stefan Reuter 3:3, Christian Ziege 4:4, Stefan Kuntz 5:5, Andreas Moeller 6:5.

ENG: Alan Shearer (3).
PENALTIES (first): Alan Shearer 1:0, David Platt 2:1, Stuart Pearce 3:2, Paul Gascoigne 4:3, Teddy Sheringham 5:4, Gareth Southgate 5:5 (Andreas Koepke).

GER: Koepke 6; Reuter 6, Babbel 6.5, Sammer 6.5, Helmer 7 (Bode, 110), Ziege 6; Scholl 5 (Haessler, 79 - 6), Freund 5.5 (Strunz, 108), Moeller 5.5, Eilts 6; Kuntz 6.

ENG: Seaman 6.5; Adams 6, Southgate 6.5, Pearce 5.5; Platt 5.5, McManaman 5.5, Gascoigne 6, Anderton 7, Ince 7; Sheringham 6, SHEARER 7.5.

REFEREE: Sandor Puhl (Hungary).

AUDIENCE: 75.862, Wembley, London.

YELLOW CARDS: Reuter, Moeller (Germany); Gascoigne (England).

RED CARDS: NONE.

6 years ago in Torino, Italy, there was exactly the same story. 1:1 after an extra-time, and the teams went into penalties, Germany advancing to the final which it won; the famous picture of Paul Gascoigne crying went then through every newspaper. Yesterday, the first 10 penalties went in, but Gareth Southgate, one of the best English players on the pitch, failed to shoot his kick properly, and Germany used it to advance. England was the better team on the pitch, but the penalty shoot-out can be cruel sometimes.

Two words about the game. The start of it was terrific, but then a total boredom took place, especially from the German side. And here came the extra-time, with a lot of events and a lot of hearts to beat in pressure. Both teams had great opportunities to score, but the tiredness took its toll. After all, we can't be disappointed.

The start belonged to the home squad. Paul Ince volleyed it greatly from 30 meters (2), only to see Andreas Koepke fisting the ball to a corner from under the bar. Gascoigne performed a corner kick (3), Adams slid it to the center with his head, and Shearer didn't fail to head it home from 3 meters under the keeper's stomach. 1:0 to England, and the stadium exploded. The 5th goal of Alan Shearer, in 5 games - a fantastic average!

England continued to press, but the two dangerous counterattacks of those minutes were performed by the guests. Kuntz tried a header (8), but Seaman had no problem collecting it. But later, it resulted in a goal - Moeller found Helmer at the left wing (16), the latter penetrated into the box and centered the ball, and Kuntz was there before Pearce to strike it home from 7 meters, 1:1. Seaman could do nothing this time.

Most of the attacks in the 1st half were those of England. Shearer (25) headed it too high, and performed the same after 31 minutes, causing Babbel to touch the ball and to deflect it to a corner. Sheringham shot a terrific volley in a turn after a corner kick of Anderton, but Reuter deflected it away (30); I doubt that Koepke could've reached it. And a wonderful header of Shearer (43) after the pass of Anderton found Koepke stretching well, but went centimeters near Koepke's right post even without his involvement; Shearer had a camera closed on him, and a curse he threw in the air was well-seen. On the other side, Kuntz (36) and Scholl (33) missed the frame, and Ziege used Scholl's pass to head the ball just to the hands of Seaman (41).

The 2nd half was really boring, and several sentences about it will do just fine. The far-ranged shots of Ince (55) and McManaman (64) went too high, and Helmer bombed it diagonally over the left crossbar of Seaman (59). McManaman found the hands of Koepke (52), and Shearer couldn't stop a ball sent greatly by Southgate (79). And here we entered the extra-time, with me guessing another result.

And here it started to be interesting. 93: a wonderful penetration of McManaman at the right wing found Anderton in the box, the latter overran Koepke and shot it to Germany's left post, and Koepke was on the rebound. 94: Helmer et Kuntz once again, and Kuntz missed the ball near an empty frame. 96: Moeller used a mistake of Adams to penetrate and to shoot from 20 meters, seeing Seaman's great flight parrying it to a corner from under his right crossbar; a corner was performed, and Kuntz headed it home, but Sandor Puhl (wonderful) disallowed the goal because of the foul on Adams. 99: a wonderful volley of Shearer went wide under the arm of Koepke, but Gascoigne didn't reach the ball to push it home from 50 centimeters! 104: McManaman made the pass, and Gazza missed this one, too. 105: a volley of Anderton from 20 meters went near the right German post. 107: Ziege missed in one-to-one with Seaman after a great double-pass with Moeller. The fresh substitute Marco Bode shot it after a corner kick (114), the ball was parried by Ince. Shearer penetrated and passed the ball to McManaman who shot it badly (115), and Koepke stretched to take the ball. And here it ended. The penalties.

Shearer, under the left crossbar of Koepke who went to his right, 1:0. Haessler, a flat ball to his left out of Seaman's reach, 1:1. Platt, at half a height to Koepke's left out of the keeper's range, 2:1. Strunz centered it as Seaman went to his left, 2:2.

A lot of applauses were blown to support Stuart Pearce, a man to miss 6 years ago in Torino. Pearce took a run and shot powerfully to his left. Koepke didn't guess the corner. 3:2.

Reuter, with a bomb to his right at half a height, Seaman managed to touch but nothing more, 3:3. Gazza misled Koepke and shot to the goalkeeper's left, 4:3. Ziege found the left corner of Seaman at half a height, despite the desperate flight of the keeper, 4:4. Sheringham and Kuntz performed the identical shots under the left crossbar, 5:5. And here came Gareth Southgate, shooting a flat ball to his left; Koepke took the direction and fell to parry it, still 5:5.

Andy Moeller knew he would be suspended from the final (2 yellow cards). But it was in his legs to arrange this final to his team. A strong shot to the center, and Seaman went to his right. 6:5. Germany faces the Czech Republic in the final.

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