Germans Klose the deal

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Jon Super / the associated press Germany�s Sami Khedira celebrates scoring his team�s second goal on Greece goalkeeper Michalis Sifakis Friday in Poland. (CP)

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Gero Breloer / the associated press German Chancellor Angela Merkel got into the match. (CP)

GDANSK, Poland -- Germany coach Joachim Loew's bold gamble to reshuffle his entire forward line against Greece paid off in a big way.

Two of the three new men up front scored in the Germans' 4-2 win in the European Championship quarter-finals and one of them, the 34-year-old Miroslav Klose, showed why he still remains a strong rival to Mario Gomez as the team's main striker.

Wingers Marco Reus and Andre Schuerrle tormented the Greek defence with their darting runs on the flanks, with Reus especially exposing the Greeks on the right before capping a bright display with a spectacular fourth goal that flew in off the crossbar.

"Today was a day of change. I had the plan in my head for some time," Loew said. "It's not that I was unhappy with the previous lineup, but I wanted some fresh wind. I wanted to make us more unpredictable."

What Loew was not happy about was that the news of the reshuffle had been leaked to German newspapers in the afternoon, he said, probably by players' agents. The news clearly didn't reach Greece's defenders, who were run ragged in Gdansk.

Loew started Gomez in the three group matches and the Bayern Munich striker scored three goals to secure wins against Portugal and the Netherlands.

However, he was ineffective against Denmark in the final group game and gave way to Klose against the Greeks.

"Of course, I was stunned that I am not playing," Gomez said. "But the coach explained it and it's not a problem. I am curious what will happen in the next game."

He isn't the only one. Indeed, with six forwards at his disposal, Loew's attacking options for next Thursday's semifinal against either England or Italy are incredible.

Klose, who had come off the bench for Gomez in every group game, was slow to find his form and fitness after playing little for Lazio this season because of hamstring and back problems.

Loew kept stressing, however, that Klose was making excellent progress and he demonstrated that by scoring Germany's third goal to break Greece's spirit and raise his international total to 64 in 120 games -- four goals short of Gerd Mueller's national record.

"My family was in the stadium and I was very happy about it," said Klose, who was born in Poland.

"I was very pleased to be playing from the start. Our bench is very, very strong. That's a quality of our team."

While Gomez is a classical penalty-box finisher, Klose is faster and combines better with playmaker Mesut Oezil in the one-touch passing game Loew likes his team to play.

Klose's movement opened a lot of space for his teammates while the addition of Reus, 23, and Schuerrle, 21, gave Germany more speed that left the Greek defence out on its feet.

Showing Germany's depth in attack, Loew left out Lukas Podolski, who made his 100th appearance for Germany earlier in the tournament -- and scored one goal -- and Thomas Mueller, who won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 23, 2012 C11