Germany coach Rudi Voeller was not pleased with Sunday's 2-0 home defeat by Hungary but warned against drawing too many conclusions from a missed dress rehearsal for Euro 2004. "The result is not okay and this was a reminder that we have a lot of work to do but there's no need to panic," Voeller said after his team lost their final game before the finals in Portugal with a dismal display.
"Of course we didn't want to lose but at Euro 2004 all the warm-up games will count for nothing," added the former World Cup striker, who had hoped for a better scenario for his 50th game as the Germany coach.
Germany, who had already worried their fans with a traumatic 5-1 defeat by Romania in April, will face the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Latvia in a tough Group D in the finals in Portugal, which start on June 12.
Two first-half goals from striker Sandor Torghelle gave the visitors a surprise victory over a lacklustre German side, who failed to take inspiration from West Germany's 3-2 triumph over the same opponents in the 1954 World Cup final.
"We paid a heavy price for a poor start," said Voeller. "We were not concentrated enough. I was upset by our performance in the first half and I let the players know that.
"We played better in the second half and had our chances, although I did notice that a little something was missing, probably because of a lack of fitness. That's something we have to work on."
Germany missed a great opportunity to rekindle the memories of the 1954 victory over a formidable Hungary team who had not lost for over four years going into the final and had thumped the Germans 8-3 in a group game earlier in the finals.
The feat, recalled as the Miracle of Berne, gave a country devastated by World War Two and haunted by the Nazi atrocities something of which to be proud.
Former Germany captain Lothar Matthaeus, now the Hungary coach, obviously knows that story and referred to it to describe his team's unexpected victory.
"This was the miracle of Kaiserslautern," said Matthaeus, whose team have failed to qualify for Euro 2004 and were hampered by a string of injuries.
"What my team achieved today, after an exhausting season and all the injury problems we've had, is just unbelievable."
Source: Reuters
07.06.2004