FINAL IS FANTASTIC FOR US. WE HAD SUPER SHOTS (IN THE PENALTIES). AND IT'S JUST EXPECTED THAT A GERMAN GOALKEEPER MAKES THE SAVES." BALLACK, REFERRING TO ARGENTINA'S OPENING GOAL SCORED BY ROBERTO AYALA AFTER 49 MINUTES, SAID: "IT WAS THEIR FIRST CHANCE ON THAT SET PIECE. WE KNEW HOW THEY'D DO THEIR SET PIECES. IT WAS A SUPER HEADER FROM HIM BUT OUR TEAM FOUGHT BACK HARD AND SCORED A BEAUTIFUL GOAL. GERMANY EQUALISED 10 MINUTES FROM TIME WITH A HEADER BY THE TOURNAMENT'S TOP SCORER MIROSLAV KLOSE BEFORE BALLACK JOINED THE PENALTY SCORERS IN THE SHOOTOUT TO SEE GERMANY THROUGH. "WE'RE ON A GOOD RUN AT THE MOMENT. SINCE THE START OF THE WORLD CUP WE'VE DONE VERY WELL AND PLAYED AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL WITH VERY FEW MISTAKES," SAID BALLACK. SUBSTITUTE OLIVER NEUVILLE, WHO ALSO SCORED IN THE SHOOTOUT, SAID: "EITHER SIDE COULD HAVE WON IT. WE HAD THE LUCK TO DO IT. IT WAS TYPICALLY GERMAN. "NEITHER TEAM PLAYED VERY WELL. IT WAS MORE OF A FIGHT. IT WAS A DIFFICULT MATCH. OUR TEAM DIDN'T HAVE MANY CHANCES BUT THANK GOD WE WON. NEUVILLE, WHO SAID HE HAD NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT LOSING, ADDED: "ARGENTINA PLAYED A GOOD MATCH BUT WE FOUGHT TO THE LAST SECOND. PENALTIES AT THE END ARE ABOUT LUCK BUT WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP OUR NERVE. I WANTED TO TAKE (ONE) AND THANK GOD IT WORKED OUT." "I'M TOTALLY OUT OF BREATH AND CAN HARDLY TALK ANY MORE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING SO MUCH IN HERE," SAID KLOSE, THE TOURNAMENT'S TOP SCORER WITH FIVE GOALS. "IT WAS AN EXCELLENT MATCH."
