Betty MacDonald Fan Club. Join fans of the beloved writer Betty MacDonald (1907-58). The original Betty MacDonald Fan Club and literary Society. Welcome to Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society - the official Betty MacDonald Fan Club Website with members in 40 countries.
Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!
Germany’s Toni Kroos celebrates scoring their dramatic winner against Sweden.
Photograph: Michael Steele/Getty Images
Joachim Löw had been asked about the curse of world champions past. Three of the previous four World Cup
winners had exited at the group phase – France (2002), Italy (2010),
Spain (2014) – and the Germany manager knew his team stood to be the
next. After the debacle that had been the defeat against Mexico in the
opening Group F tie, the pressure was on. It pulsed against German
temples because everybody knew that Sweden were likely to be a tough nut
to crack. Their goalkeeper, Robin Olsen, had entered the game having
not conceded since October last year.
It was pretty much win or bust for Germany
because even a draw would have left them without control of their
destiny in the final round of group matches. On a wild night, they once
again showed their defensive frailties and it was a glaring example of
their indiscipline when Jérôme Boateng, who had been booked, leapt into a
reckless 85th-minute tackle on Marcus Berg to leave his team with 10
men.
But at the other end, they attacked with abandon during a thrilling
second half and, with 18 seconds of the five minutes of stoppage time
remaining, they got their reward, their reprieve. The angle to the left
of the penalty area looked to be too tight for Toni Kroos as he stood
over a free-kick. But he made it slightly better by touching the ball to
Marco Reus, who gave it back and what happened next was a contender for
goal of the tournament.
Kroos’s technique was flawless, the bend on the shot wicked and it
fizzed beyond Olsen into the far, top corner. Germany roared; Sweden
were broken, even though a win over Mexico in their final game would
see them qualify, and there were angry scenes upon the full-time
whistle, as the rival benches clashed.
Ola Toivonen puts Sweden ahead with a dazzling chipped finish. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images
“Some
of the German bench celebrated by running in our direction and rubbing
it into our faces by making gestures and that really got me annoyed,”
Janne Andersson, the Sweden manager, said. “We fight it out for 95
minutes and then you shake it out and leave so I was very angry. People
behaved in ways that you do not do. This is probably the most crushing
end to a game I’ve experienced.”
It was a result that got away from Sweden because, make no
mistake, they could have been home and hosed at the interval, after a
first half in which they scored through Ola Toivonen and might have had
more. There was the highly contentious decision on 12 minutes not to
award them a penalty after Boateng had pushed Berg when he was the last
man, which looked to be the wrong call and the impression would only be
strengthened with each TV replay. Don’t mention the VAR. The video
assistants did not come into play.
Löw was brave and fortune favoured him. He had made four changes from
the Mexico game – the most eye-catching of which were the omissions of
Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil – and he lost the former’s replacement,
Sebastian Rudy, to a broken nose after half an hour. Rudy was bloodied
after being caught, inadvertently, by Toivonen.
Löw introduced Mario Gomez for the second half, with Timo Werner
moving to the left wing and Thomas Müller pushing up as a second
striker, and he and his players threw everything into the salvage
operation. The sense of adventure was pronounced.
Jonas Hector, the left-back, wandered into an inside-forward position
at times and Löw’s final move in the 87th minute was dramatic. He
withdrew Hector, despite being a man down, and sent on the attacking
midfielder Julian Brandt, who promptly rattled a post with a ferocious
drive. Joshua Kimmich and Antonio Rüdiger were the only recognised
defenders on the pitch at the end. Thanks to Kroos, the gamble paid off.
Kroos had been the villain for Germany in the first half. He gave the
ball away, uncharacteristically, to Berg and, when it was worked wide,
Viktor Claesson crossed for Toivonen. The striker took an excellent
first touch on his chest and the second was even better – a glorious lob
that gave Manuel Neuer no chance.
Germany’s Toni Kroos scores their second goal past Sweden’s Robin Olsen. Photograph: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
Germany
played on the front foot but the worry for Löw was how threatening
Sweden looked in the first half on the counterattack; how easily they
carved apart his team. It was extraordinary to see a German defence in
such open and obliging mood.
The penalty controversy followed a simple pass that set Berg clean
through – the chasing Boateng not only shoved him, he also appeared to
trip him – and when Emil Forsberg drove an opening on 44 minutes, he had
two yellow shirts in glorious positions. Where were the defenders? He
picked out Claesson but he decided against the first time shot, which
was a bad move. Hector got across to tackle. Berg also worked Neuer with
a glancing header.
Germany had gone close early on through Julian Draxler and Hector
while the substitute Ilkay Gündogan extended Olsen with a deflected
long-ranger but they were a different team after half-time.
Reus, who more than justified his selection ahead of Özil, got the
equaliser from Werner’s cross and it was all Germany. Reus could not
flick home with a trailing leg from Kimmich’s lovely cross; Werner
lifted high; and, after Andreas Granqvist had extended Neuer at the
other end, the 10 men almost snatched it only for Olsen to tip over from
Gomez’s header. The sting in the tale was still to come.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
