Mexico Is Overwhelmed by Germany, 6-0
Sometimes, statistics lie. In the case of Germany’s 6-0 rout of Mexico Thursday in a first-round Women’s World Cup match at Civic Stadium, the statistics accurately reflected the extent of Germany’s domination of a Mexican team that owes profound and profuse apologies to goalkeeper Linnea Quinones for its shortcomings.
Germany (1-0-1) outshot Mexico, 43-2, including a 20-0 dominance in the first half. Germany’s edge in shots on goal was 20-1.
German goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg didn’t have to make a save until the 89th minute and could have read a novel, so rarely did she have to pay attention to the action in front of her.
With so little to do, she spent most of the evening dodging the raindrops that fell with varying intensity throughout the game.
The field, laid over the artificial turf used by the minor-league baseball team that calls the stadium home, was scuffed up in Mexico’s end but nearly pristine in Rottenberg’s vicinity. The 20,129 fans cheered each time Mexico got within 40 yards of Rottenberg, obviously sympathetic to the Mexicans’ helplessness.
Forward Inka Grings scored three times. Sandra Smisek, Ariane Hingst and Renate Lingor had the other goals.
Quinones, 18, was a freshman at San Diego State this season and missed six weeks after breaking her finger in a 3-0 exhibition loss to the U.S. in late March.
She played six games for the Aztecs--presumably getting more help from her defense than she did Thursday. She made 14 saves, many of them brilliant and many of the saves were born of sheer athleticism.
Quinones, a graduate of Benita Vista High School in Chula Vista, said she had never experienced anything like Germany’s attack.
“That was the toughest night I’ve ever had. It was one shot after another, one breakaway after another,” she said. “We needed to close them down earlier on defense, but we’re a young team and we have a long way to go.”
Mexico (0-2) has been outscored, 13-1, and is last in Group B. It will wrap up first-round play Sunday against Italy at Foxboro, Mass. Germany, second to Brazil in Group B, plays its final first-round match Sunday at Landover, Md.
