Reality check: Germany held to scoreless draw by England

Soccer Betting Lines

09/14/2007 - Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After setting a record with 11 goals in its opening match, Germany was held to a 0-0 draw by England on Friday.

Germany had scored a goal in its last 11 World Cup games, the third longest streak ever, but had that mark stopped thanks to a stubborn England back line and a big save in the game's final 10 minutes by keeper Rachel Brown.

Germany would have secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a win, but will have to wait until Monday against Japan to do so. The Japanese earned a 1-0 win against Argentina earlier in the day, putting them in a tie atop Group A with the Germans.

England, meanwhile, played to its second straight draw in the tournament, but is in a good position to advance as long as they can beat a weak Argentina side on Monday.

England enjoyed a strong start to the match, and had the better of the play early on.

A mistake by German keeper Nadine Angerer in the sixth minute nearly allowed England to steal the lead. A long ball from the back intended for Kelly Smith skipped to the edge of the area, and Angerer came off her line to clear it. She ran to the edge of the box and tried to head the ball clear because she was unsure of where she was on the field. The ball glanced off her head and went behind her but rolled wide of the goal.

Germany did not find too many openings in the first half, but had a good free- kick chance in the 11th minute. Melanie Behringer was on the ball 35 yards from goal and decided to take a crack at the net, blasting a hard shot over the wall and just over the crossbar.

England tried to grab the opening goal on a set piece of its own, with Fara Williams driving the ball low into the box for Smith. The ball was struck low and just skipped over the foot of Smith, who tried to redirect it from the penalty spot.

Germany's Kerstin Garefrekes got open inside the box and sent a glancing header on net minutes before halftime, but Brown saved it easily.

The two teams played a fairly even first half, with Smith looking dangerous for England, and Germany serving up some promising crosses.

Germany began to take control of the contest after the restart, spending the majority of the second half inside the England portion of the field. The English defense held up despite coming under pressure and being forced to deal with a number of balls played into the box.

Captain Birgit Prinz got involved in the 72nd minute when Sandra Smisek took a pass at the top of the box with her back to the goal and laid it off for Prinz. The star striker took a touch into the box but had defender Faye White all over her back. She was able to get a sliding shot off, but it had little behind it and rolled comfortably to Brown.

The best chance of the match fell to Garefrekes eight minutes from time, but Brown came up with a big stop to keep Germany off the board. A loose ball at the edge of the box was knocked toward goal but took a deflection off of an England defender. The ball ended up on the foot of Garefrekes, who was open at the right post. She hit a low shot along the ground that was headed for the far post, but Brown got down and knocked the ball away with her foot, preserving a share of the points for England.

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