Germany edged Australia 1-0 to win a nail-biting final of the Champions Trophy Sunday with German skipper Timo Wess' early strike ensuring another feather in the cap for the World Champions. It was a grand day for 25-year-old Wess, who also scored in the final last year, but that time Germany lost 2-1.
This time his superb flick in the fifth minute was enough to ensure Germany a record ninth title, while Wess received the Best Player of the Final award.
After the final, Wess said: "Last year I was on the losing side and it did not matter that I scored. But this time it was true and we won."
German coach Markus Weise put it down to hard work. "(Australia) did everything to fight back to force the draw but we had the luck," he admitted.
"But really, if you don't work hard you don't get the luck and we worked hard today and we won." Disappointed Australian coach Barry Dancer said luck was not on their side. "The result was very open right up to the very end," he said. "So I was very pleased with the character of our team and the fight they showed, particularly with only 10 men for the best part of 25 minutes of the game," he added.
"Certainly (Germany) played as if they are playing the final tonight and I think we paid the penalty for lack of intensity in the first 10-15 minutes of the game."
Germany were beaten by Australia 5-0 on Saturday in a group match, but it was a different story here as they attacked from the off. Australia were hardly in the game and were pushed back in numbers with the tremendous pressure paying off for Germany as early as the fifth minute.
Wess collected a pass from Tobias Hauke from a penalty corner and coolly flicked the ball into the top left corner. The pressure on the Aussies was unbearable and they would have been at least three down if not for goalkeeper Stephen Lambert who single-handedly kept the score down when he made several point-blank saves.
Frustrated, the Aussies then resorted to rough play and that too was punished when Nathan Eglington was shown the yellow card for a vicious tackle on Benni Wess. In the second half, Germany were in control while Eglington was still sitting in the sin bin for the yellow card offence. He only returned after 25 minutes, the longest punishment for a yellow card seen in the tournament.
Only in the final 15 minutes did the Aussies slowly gain control of the tie and this time they went on the overdrive in search of an equaliser to force extra time.
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