Player Ratings: Liechtenstein 0-6 Germany

LIECHTENSTEIN 

Peter Jehle: 7.0 – Would have had a 7.5 if not for his poor punch-clearance, which led to the Rolfes goal.  Was generally well-positioned, and did well to save a number of low drives.  If not for Jehle’s performance, the score could have been 10-0. 

Fabio D'elia: 2.0 – Probably the worst of a very disappointing Liechtenstein defense.  Had no confidence and allowed Trochowski to dribble to the penalty area before the Hamburg midfielder laid off for Podolski’s second goal.  Otherwise, he tended to be caught woefully out of position.

Martin Stocklasa: 2.5 – Like D’elia, was often out of position, as he played Podolski onside for the Germans’ second goal.   He was not aggressive enough to play a central defensive role.  Was saved by Jehle on 14’ when Klose had an open header on goal.  As the match wore on, he appeared more comfortable, which greatly helped his performance. 

Marco Ritzberger: 3.0 – Like Stocklasa and D’elia, was consistently out of position.  Benefited from seeing far less action than D’elia, but was unable to save his team from a rout. 

Franz Burgmeier: 3.0 – A banker by trade, the midfielder played aggressively, which had mixed results for his team.  His tackles tended to break up German advances, but were often reckless.  Lucky he wasn’t sent off. 

Michele Polverino: 3.0 – Allegedly one of Liechtenstein’s best, this was not his day.  Has suffered from back pain as of late, which most likely contributed to his anonymity on the pitch. 

Andreas Gerster: 3.0 – Another mostly anonymous midfielder due to his team’s having been pinned in its own half for most of the match. 

Martin Buechel: 5.0 – Aside from a decent cross on 36 minutes, was mostly anonymous at the offensive end, and rarely had possession. 

Mario Frick: 6.0 – His team’s best outfielder.  Had a good run on 24 minutes, and nearly scored a consolation goal after beating Tasci on 71 minutes.  Unfortunately, for Frick, Westermann recovered and took away any shooting opportunity. 

Benjamin Fischer: 4.5 – Had a good opportunity on 72 minutes, but missed high.  Did well to link up with Frick on a few occasions, but was generally sloppy with the ball. 

Mathias Christen: 4.5 - Took a decent but prayer-like shoot on 10 minutes and had a good close-range effort after 71. 

Substitutes: 

Thomas Beck: 4.0 – A good close-range effort on 78 minutes was his biggest contribution, but his shot was off target. 

Raphael Rohrer: 5.0 – Was effective on corners, finding Fischer on 72 minutes and Beck on 78 minutes.  Unfortunately for Rohrer, his teammates were unable to convert. 

Ronny Buchel: n/a 

GERMANY 

Robert Enke: 7.0 – Although he was never truly tested, he was always in position to make saves had they been required. 

Philipp Lahm: 8.0 – The more offensive fullback.  Wreaked havoc on the left side with his accomplices, Trochowski and Podolski.  Was too generous on 41 minutes when he had a 1-on-1 with the goalkeeper and he crossed to a nonexistent receiver.  

Serdar Tasci: 5.0 – Hard to rate because he was rarely called into action.  Disappointed when he failed to contain Frick on 71’. 

Heiko Westermann: 6.0 – Also hard to rate because he was so sparingly used.  In spite of a defensive error on 11 minutes, he performed generally well in his own half, and provided the kind of offensive performance Germans expect from Christoph Metzelder, except with finishing on the attacking end.  Provided a headed goal following a corner kick, a surprisingly rare feat for a German international. 

Clemens Fritz: 5.0 – The more defensive full back.  Cannot be faulted for his lack of offense, as Westermann and Lahm often ventured forward and somebody had to keep Tasci company.  Did well to break up attacks from the Liechtenstein offense when necessary. 

Piotr Trochowski: 6.5 – Had his ups and downs.  Great selfless play: for the opener, he passed up a shot, instead laying off for Hitzlsperger, who assisted Podolski’s opener.  Also passed up a chance and provided the ball for Podolski’s second goal.  Still, his passing was not always spot-on, and he occasionally lost possession cheaply. 

Thomas Hitzlsperger: 6.0 – Also had his ups and downs.  Aside from his assist to Podolski, his passes tended to be poor.  Would have had a rating of 5.0 if not for his well-struck free kick goal. 

Simon Rolfes: 4.0 – Many would ask how a goal scorer could have a rating of 4.0, but I can’t give him much credit for an opportunistic goal, even if it was well struck.  Aside from a great ball to Lahm, he contributed little offensively or defensively. 

Bastian Schweinsteiger: 6.5 – His work rate, versatility, and creativity are to be highly respected.  Early on, he was all over the pitch, setting up plays and confusing the opposing defense.  Had two good shots and would have scored if not for Jehle’s good goalkeeping.  For all his vision and good runs, he was not as technically sharp as he can be, as his ball control and passes were often sub-par. 

Miroslav Klose: 2.0 – Why Loew gave him the captain’s armband is a mystery to me.  Confidence is a requirement for all captains, and Klose has none of it.  A perfect example was when he was open in the penalty area and shot at least a yard wide of the far post. 

Lukas Podolski: 8.0 – Not only did he score twice, but he also nearly provided several assists.  His work rate was incredible, exemplified by his efforts to remain on his feet as D’Elia did his best to pull him down rugby-style. If today’s performance does not win him a starting role at Bayern, Klinsmann is a madman. 

Substitutes: 

Mario Gomez: 5.0 – Keeps getting unlucky.  When the ball was crossed in front of his feet, he froze instead of tapping the ball in.  A disappointing performance from the man who is arguably Germany’s most talented centre forward. 

Marko Marin: 5.5 – Today’s performance was below the quality of his league performances and his last international outing against Belgium.  Did nothing wrong, but those hoping for a few Messi-style runs would have been disappointed. 

Kevin Kuranyi: 5.5 – Would have had a higher mark had he scored, which he nearly did twice.  A free header late in the match should have been on target, and he was unlucky to have been flagged for offside as he turned and netted from 18 yards.

Clark Whitney