Soccer: Germany thrash 6-2 Austria but Deisler gets hurt

LEVERKUSEN, Germany - Germany thrashed Austria 6-2 in their last warm-up game before the World Cup on Saturday but an injury sustained by valued midfielder Sebastian Deisler marred the demolition.

Three goals from striker Miroslav Klose, two from versatile midfielder Marco Bode and one from substitute Daniel Bierofka helped the triple world champions bounce back in style four days after an embarrassing 1-0 defeat to Wales in Cardiff on Tuesday.

The price for the morale boost, however, might be high if Hertha Berlin's Deisler cannot be fit in time for the finals starting on May 31.

The Bayern Munich-bound player, who had only recently returned from a long injury break, had to be carried off on a stretcher 20 minutes into the game after clashing with Austrian striker Rolf Landerl.

The gifted 22-year-old held his right knee and then covered his face with his hands.

"It doesn't look too negative but we can't say more for the moment," assistant Germany coach Michael Skibbe said shortly after Deisler, who remained sidelined for months after undergoing surgery on his right knee last October, was taken to a nearby hospital to be examined.

Klose opened the scoring with a thunderous drive from just inside the box in the 15th minute before doubling the advantage from close range 14 minutes later. Bode had added another with a header from a Christian Ziege cross in the 36th minute when the visitors pulled one back seconds later with midfielder Rene Aufhauser collecting a pass from playmaker Andreas Herzog to catch the German defence off guard.

Austria, who have failed to qualify for the World Cup, fought back into the match immediately into the second half when midfielder Roman Wallner surprised Germany goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn with an angled shot.

But Klose put Germany in control again by heading home from a Jens Jeremies cross to complete his hat-trick in the 53rd minute before Bode placed the issue beyond doubt from a counter-attack in the 70th minute.

Austria had given up when Bierofka completed the rout with seven minutes remaining.

Germany, who were drawn with Cameroon, Ireland and Saudia Arabia in World Cup group E, will now have a short rest before they fly out to their base in Japan on Wednesday. They take on Saudi Arabia on June 1 in Sapporo in their opening game.

Voeller, who has been hit by many injury worries in the build-up to the World Cup, had to leave out Marko Rehmer for Saturday's match after the Hertha Berlin defender sprained his shoulder in training on Friday.

Rehmer should be fit in time for the World Cup and escape the fate of central defenders Jens Nowotny and Christian Woerns and midfielder Mehmet Scholl, who all had to pull out.

- REUTERS

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