Striker Lukas Podolski saved Germany the blushes with an injury-time goal to seal a 2-2 draw with the Ivory Coast on an emotional night here.
Striker Lukas Podolski saved Germany the blushes with an injury-time goal to seal a 2-2 draw with the Ivory Coast on an emotional night here.
Podolski netted a first-half penalty and then scored in the third minute of injury time to snatch a draw.
The game was marked by flags and banners paying tribute to Hanover goalkeeper and German international Robert Enke, who committed suicide last week suffering from depression. And Podolski admitted it was good to get on the pitch to help the grieving process with Enke's No 1 shirt being hung on the German bench."I was happy to be on the pitch because our thoughts were with Robert," said Podolski after Saturday's Germany-Chile friendly was cancelled out of respect for Enke's family.
The goalkeeper won his eighth cap in August to help Germany qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The Germany team paid tribute to Enke with a moving letter that read...
"Your death for us is still omnipresent. It has made us all speechless, stunned, helpless. We were stunned when we got the unbearable news. We were not able to put our grief into words. We were not able to play football. We could not simply go about business as usual.
"We have long sat together and thought of you. We have been silent together, cried together and searched for answers together, but in fact found only more questions agonising questions of 'Why could not we help you? Why did you not want to talk to us about your problems? Why is it that, in our competitive society, it is not possible to express fears over such illnesses?'
"It is for all of us a painful thought that you felt so alone and in need, even if you were with us."
Other important results
Oman u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 0-2u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Brazil
Montenegro u00a0 1-0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Belarus
Denmarku00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 3-1u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 United States
Hollandu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 0-0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Paraguay
Italyu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a01-0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Sweden
Korea Repu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 0-1u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Serbia
Polandu00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a01-0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0 Canada
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
