Ballack night for Austria

German skipper bends one in as 8216;96 champions brush aside Croatia loss to set up quarter-final against Portugal.

His face twisted in pent-up aggression, Michael Ballack released all his frustration with one mighty shot that took Germany into the quarter-finals of the European Championship.

Ballack took about 10 steps in his run-up to a free kick from 25 yards, striking the ball with his right foot with such force that it flew past Austria goalkeeper Juergen Macho before he could even raise his hands. The goal in the 49th minute secured Germany8217;s 1-0 win over Austria on Monday and sent the three-time champions into a quarter-final showdown with Portugal. 8220;It was not an easy job. We were under a lot of pressure 8212; we had a lot to lose,8221; Ballack said. 8220;We got a little tense as the match went on, but we fought very hard until the end. We haven8217;t been so convincing so far, but this will give us a push for sure.

8220;We should have taken the lead early. It would have been easier. This way, we had to fight long and hard. It was tough and we expected that, but it was important to go through and show a strong team performance.8221;

Ballack had two quiet performances in Germany8217;s first two matches, a 2-0 win over Poland and a 2-1 loss to Croatia. But the captain came through 8212; as he has so many times before 8212; when it most mattered.

Time8217;s running out

The Chelsea midfielder is still seeking his first major title and at age 31, he will be soon running out of time. Germany coach Juergen Loew went against broad expectations and made only one change in his starting line-up, bringing in Arne Friedrich for injured defender Marcell Jansen. But he also had Ballack playing slightly more forward than in the previous two games, when a major part of his job was to help in front of the four defenders.

Loew was soon in the stands having been sent there by referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez along with his Austrian counterpart Josef Hickersberger for arguing with the fourth official. The coach first chatted with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is becoming the team8217;s most prominent supporter, and then sat next to his midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was suspended, and exchanged high-fives with several other members of the team8217;s staff.

Germany captured the last of their three European titles in 1996, then did not win a game in either of the next two tournaments. Ballack8217;s goal ensured his team would not go home after the group stages again.

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The Germans needed at least a draw to go through and began strongly. But striker Mario Gomez somehow failed to score from three yards out five minutes into the game. Germany wasted several more opportunities and Austria, playing at home, may have started believing that it could pull off an upset.

Ballack scored at the right time to end those hopes, celebrating his goal with a finger to his mouth as if to quieten somebody. 8220;There was a lot of talk before the match, especially from the Austrians,8221; he said.