Goalkeepers steal the show

"Sorry, but there will be no presents." With those words Oliver Kahn wrote the sub-plot to this Group D encounter.

Kahn's heritage
The quote, of course, refers to Kahn's revelation that he owes part of his heritage to Latvia with one grandparent hailing from the Baltic state along with his father who moved to Germany during the second world war.

Cheeky offer
Germany's goalkeeper had kept this nugget of information to himself until now and it prompted the Latvian ambassador to Berlin to offer Kahn citizenship if he obliged by letting in a soft goal in the first competitive match between these countries. The 35-year-old German captain has been showing signs of fallibility of late, but the man who has won virtually everything the game has to offer was determined not to gift anything to his ancestors at the Estádio do Bessa Século XXI.

Kolinko's progress
The contrast with his counterpart in the Latvian goal could not have been more pronounced. Aleksandrs Kolinko's formative years were spent at Skonto FC where four league titles and two Latvian cups were the sum of his achievements before moving to English club Crystal Palace FC in 2000. His three-year stay ended when manager Trevor Francis did not see the funny side when Kolinko laughed out loud after his side had conceded a goal during a league match.

Early pressure
Since then the goalkeeper, now with FC Rostov, has become an integral part of Aleksandrs Starkovs' side and this game marked his 50th cap the day after he celebrated his 29th birthday. In the early stages it looked as though his team-mates might have something to celebrate also as they chased and harried their more illustrious opponents all over the pitch roared on by the small band of Latvian supporters behind Kahn's goal, who were joined by some Swedes and a contingent bearing allegiance to Northampton Town FC.

Goalkeeping antics
Just as they did against the Czech Republic, Latvia's front pairing of Maris Verpakovskis and Andrejs Prohorenkovs were combining well, prompting Kahn to come off his line on more than one occasion to bellow instructions at his defenders. Meanwhile, Kolinko was clearly getting bored with the lack of action at his end of the pitch, so much so that he tried to dribble the ball out of his area in the 28th minute.

Long-range efforts
He made it as far as the near-side corner flag before slicing his intended pass into the crowd. This display of audacity seemed to annoy the German forwards and Michael Ballack and Kevin Kuranyi both tried their luck from long range without unduly bothering the Latvian keeper.

Good chance
Verpakovskis was proving to be more of handful for the German defenders and in the 40th minute he showed them a clean pair of heels and set off towards goal. It was the best chance of the game, but Kahn got down quickly to smother his left-foot shot.

Germany frustrated
Into the second half and Kolinko looked certain to be beaten on 59 minutes when Philipp Lahm cut the ball back from the byline, but Ballack miscued his shot and the Latvian goal remained intact. Four minutes later Kolinko denied the FC Bayern München player again punching his fiercely struck free-kick away to safety.

Plaudits accepted
At the end of the 90 minutes Kahn had kept to his word, but it was Kolinko and his colleagues who took all the plaudits as Latvia held on to record their first ever point in the finals of a major tournament. The players' celebrations in front of their delighted supporters were fully deserved.