Coach Loew says Lukas' missed penalty and poor form led to Serbian shocker

Serbia shock Germany 1-0

Coach Loew says Lukas' missed penalty and poor form led to Serbian shocker

Loew's frustration was all too evident after his side's impressive start to the World -- a 4-0 drubbing of Australia -- was tarnished by the 0-1 defeat.

Germany's Lukas Podolski reacts after yet another missed opportunity against Serbia at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium at Port Elizabeth yesterday. Serbia won 1-0. Pics/AFP

After the win over Australia had generated talk of Loew's youngsters emerging as serious title contenders, the Serbia loss at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium has left them with work to do to enter Round Two.

It was not Germany's day, with veteran Miroslav Klose sent off for a second yellow card (37th min), Serbia scoring a minute later and then Podolski missing a second half penalty. Loew said: "Lukas always scores from the penalty spot, so I left it up to him and Bastian Schweinsteiger to decide which of them took it. They are both excellent penalty takers, I leave the decision up to the player who feels brave enough to score but Lukas didn't take a good penalty. He usually hammers the ball home, this time it was relatively easy for the 'keeper to parry the ball away.

"Lukas had many other chances, but he had a problem today, I don't know why he wasn't hitting the target."

How Serbia's Jovanovic brought Loew & Co down to Earth...
38th minute: After handling some sustained pressure from the Germans, Serbia built a soft attack from the right. As the ball reached Milos Krasic on the wing, forwards Nikola Zigic and Milan Jovanovic (left in red) began jostling for space in the German circle. Krasic crossed and the six-foot-eight Zigic was the first to get to it -- smartly heading the ball down and across goal to Jovanovic, who made no mistake in beating German 'keeper Manuel Neuer from close range.

The Germans thereafter tried hard to equalise and the second half was virtually played in the Serbian half, but the goal didn't come as the Serbs held on to the slender lead until the final whistle.

Germany next play Ghana and though they should still make it to the next round, the defeat adds pressure on them to anyhow win the Ghana tie.

How they fared

Germany
Klose: Picked up yellow for a lazy tackle earlier on and topped it with a clumsy challenge on Dejan Stankevic to earn red.
Podolski: Was woefully out of form and but looked confident as he stepped up to the take a penalty. sadly, his poor form caught up.

Serbia
Milan Jovanovic: Fine finishing and opportunism confirmed that Liverpool have made the right move by bringing him to Anfield.
Vladimir Stojkovic: Serbian 'keeper has to be the hero of the match for saving Podolski's penalty by neatly diving to his left.

What they said
The result is devastating! We had some excellent chances, four or fine and a penalty. It's a pity we didn't get a draw. I expected my players to bring in more precise crosses... that got on my nerves
-- Germany coach Joachim Loew

This is a victory for our people who will know how to celebrate it. This win means we decide our own fate. To achieve more, we have to be even more confident
-- Serbian coach Radomir Antic

If there is a red card at this World Cup in every game, you have to wonder where the sense is. It's not fun. I'm furious and bitterly disappointed
-- Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger on Klose being red carded

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