1-0 halftime lead explodes into 7-1 Germany rout over Russia

Going into this quarterfinal Women's World Cup match in Portland, Oregon, Germany had looked as sharp as any team during the tournament. The German side did very little to change that view on Thursday evening as a 1-0 halftime lead turned into a 7-1 rout of Russia in a match played in front of 20,021 fans at Portland's PGE Park.

Germany had the first good chance of the evening, when in the 12th minute, Birgit Prinz's shot from inside the box was blocked by the Russian defense, and a rebound shot by Martina Mueller from near the top of the box skipped off the top of the bar.

In the 19th minute, a Stefanie Gottschlich free kick from just outside the top of the box was barely over the bar. Germany was controlling much of the early play, but Russia showed intent to go forward as they were looking for counterattack chances, but were unable to penetrate very far into the German defense.

In the 25th minute, the German side broke through, when a through ball from Maren Meinert found Mueller making a run down the left side, and the German striker cut around a defender and beat Russian goalkeeper Alla Volkova to the left side of the net to put Germany up 1-0.

Germany nearly doubled their lead three minutes later when a shot from Renate Lingor was just tipped over the bar. Neither team would threaten seriously again and the half would end with Germany holding 1-0 lead.

In the first minute of the second half, Germany had a great chance to widen the lead when a pass from Prinz found Mueller open near the post, but her shot from six yards out was just wide right. Russia was beginning to send more players forward as they were looking for a counterattack equalizer, but they were unable to push the ball forward from midfield, as the Germany defense was solid.

The floodgates opened for Germany starting in the 57th minute when Sandra Minnert's header off a Gottschlich corner kick found the left side of the net to widen the Germany lead to 2-0. Just three minutes later, the lead was up to three goals when a pass from Prinz found second-half substitute Pia Wunderlich open in the box, and her perfectly placed shot to the upper right corner made the Germany lead 3-0.

Three minutes later, Germany found the net again when Kerstin Garefrekes found herself open in the box, and hit a hard, low shot into the net that widened the lead to 4-0.

The first good scoring chance for the Russian side didn't come until the 67th minute, when Natalia Barbachina's header from 10 yards out off a free kick was just wide left. Within the next minute, Russia had another good chance when Elena Danilova's shot from near the top of the box was tipped over the bar by German goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg.

Four minutes later, Russia finally got on the board when Danilova got control of the ball near the top of the box, cut to avoid a German defender, and hit the left side of the net to pull a goal back at 4-1.

In the 75th minute, Germany was unfortunate not to get their fifth goal when a chip from the right side from Mueller deflected off the left post as it curled in towards net, and the rebound was hit wide across the goal mouth by Wunderlich. In the 78th minute, Prinz had another good chance for Germany when she freed herself with a fake near the top of the box, but her shot was right at the Russian keeper for the easy save.

In the 80th minute, Germany widened the lead back to four goals when Prinz made a run down the left side, cutting around her defender and then beating Volkova to the short side to widen the German lead to 5-1.

In the 85th minute, Germany was gifted an easy sixth goal when a cross from Gottschlich found Garefrekes open in front of the empty net, and she tapped easily into the right side of the net to put Germany out to a 6-1 lead.

Four minutes later, Germany put their seventh goal in when Prinz took control of a long ball from near midfield, then hit a shot to the upper right corner to increase the lead to 7-1.

In the 90th minute, Germany nearly had an eighth goal when a pass off the endline from Garefrekes found Prinz open in front of a completely empty Russian net, but her shot was just wide right. Germany had a few more chances to get that eighth goal during stoppage time, but weren't able to put the shots on net, and the match would finish in a 7-1 Germany rout.

Match report and game photos by Allison Andrews