Shearer magic ends German domination

The result ended Germany8217;s amazing domination over England in major championships in the past 34 years. The Germans had knocked the English out of the 1970 and 1990 World cups and the 1996 Euros either in the quarters or the semis and twice via penalty shootouts.

8220;People back home have waited so long 8211; so have I 8211; this is magnificent,8221; coach Kevin Keegan said. 8220;The character came through. It might carry us a long way through this tournament if we just believe in ourselves. I8217;m delighted for the fans.8221;

Keegan, who has played several seasons for German club Hamburg after leaving Liverpool in late 1970s, noted he was 12 years old when England last beat Germany in a championship.

The Germans created plenty of shooting chances but couldn8217;t get the ball past David Seaman in the England goal. On the other end, Michael Owen had a first-half header pushed onto the post by German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn.

The victory gives England three points from two games, three behind Group A leaders Portugal. The Germans, who tied with Romania, has only one and must beat the Portugese to survive.

Veteran German defender Lothar Matthaeus, who almost quit the team after pressure on him to step down at age 39, said the Germans paid the price for not making a breakthrough in the first half.

8220;We could not force our way through in the second half,8221; he said. 8220;England capitaised on their chance, that is the difference. Now we have to do our utmost to make as much as possible of our limited chances to go through.8221;

German coach Erich Ribbeck said one piece of defensive slackness cost them the game. 8220;We didn8217;t deserve to lose. We were better in the first half,8221; the under fire coach said.

The game was played against a background of fan violence during the buildup and English fans also attacked the police on their way out of the stadium.

Some 500 English fans were detained and most of them deported for rioting in downtown Brussels on the eve of the game and in Charleroi. Police also fired water cannons at English and German followers who began fighting in Charleroi8217;s main square on the afternoon of the game.

The Germans were forced to face the English without AC Milan striker Oliver Bierhoff, who suffered a calf muscle injury in training, while Real Madrid8217;s Steve McManaman and Arsenal captain Tony Adams were sidelined for England after picking up injuries in the 3-2 loss to Portugal.

On a warm, sunny evening before a noisy crowd at Stade du Pays de Charleroi, neither team troubled the goalkeeper until the 18th minute when Dietmar Hamann, who plays in England for Liverpool, fired an angled 20-metre drive that Seaman parried away.

With England unable to piece together any meaningful moves in the opening half hour, the Germans enjoyed plenty of possession and Seaman had to make saves from Mehmet Scholl and Christian Ziega before Kevin Keegan8217;s team finally came up with something to worry German captain Oliver Kahn.

Philip Neville found Michael Owen with a left wing cross and the striker8217;s header was pushed onto the left post by Kahn. Sadly for England no one was following up to turn in the rebound and the Germans escaped.

After two yellow cards in a minute for England8217;s David Beckham and Germany8217;s Jens Jeremies, the English created another opening when Beckham8217;s superbly weighted ball found Manchester United colleague Paul Scholes unmarked just inside the area but the left foot shot was blocked by Kahn.

Ziege fired a 20m free kick just too high at the start of second half bsfore England took the lead in the 53rd minute.

Beckham fired in a well-weighted free kick that flashed past Owen and Scholes and their two markers and Shearer, left unmarked wide of the far post, planted a powerful header past unprotected Kahn to spark celebrations among the English fans.

Germany almost leveled within a minute when Carsten Jancker neatly collected a cross from the right, and turned to fire a close range shot just too high from a tight angle. Then Mehmet Scholl took a deep pass and broke clear of the defence only for his shot to beat Seaman but roll just past the far post.