World Champ Germans Almost Ambushed by the Aussies

Apparently, Australia are not only good at cricket -- OK, great at cricket -- but also in football.

The Socceroos just posted a stunning 2-2 draw against World Champions Germany.

A match that could have ended in a disaster for Australia somehow took a different course. Die Mannschaft, who managed to put seven goals past none other than flambuoyant Brazil, couldn't produce their world class form on a friendly stage.

The first goal of the game, as expected, came from a German’s boot after an egregious giveaway:

Marco Reus -- pronounced Royce, if you're so inclined toward accuracy -- can score all sort of goals.

With the German ground defense so stifling, the Men from Oz took to the air, concluded with a precision finish by the well-traveled James Troisi, who's come up big in internationals before:

Now, that was an on-the-money cross. It's a scorer’s dream and a defender’s dilemma.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Australia leaped into the lead with a fantastic free kick that was sharply converted by Mile Jedinak.

Had it been Manuel Neuer between the posts, that story could well have been different.

To save their tag of World Champions, the Germans needed a reply. It came from Lukas Podolski, the underrated German import:

Typical clinical passing from the Germans, but did it look like Podolski almost misfired on the finish? That ball came off his foot kinda weird. Still, it counted and decorum was maintained, albeit barely.