Ruud van Nistelrooy saved Holland from defeat with a late equaliser after Germany had looked set to claim a famous victory in this compelling Group D crunch match.
The Manchester United man had been barely given a sniff of the action all night against the daunting central defensive partnership of Christian Worns and Jens Nowotny. But as the game was slipping away from Holland in the imposing Estadio do Dragao, van Nistelrooy hooked home a ball hammered into the six-yard box by Andy van der Meyde.
The ball flashed past Oliver Kahn to cancel out a first half free-kick from Torsten Frings that had threatened to send Germany away with the points after an impressive, organised display. Dutch coach Dick Advocaat carried out his predicted plan of playing just van Nistelrooy up front in a match that crackled with wicked intent from the start.
Germany had youngsters Kevin Kuranyi and his Stuttgart colleague Philip Lahm in the side, with coach Rudi Voller going for five in midfield. Skipper Kahn was celebrating his 35th birthday, the same day as UEFA's 50th.
The fans clad in orange almost had something to shout about on just two minutes. Skipper Phillip Cocu lifted a fine ball into the box, and it dropped perfectly for van Nistelrooy but somehow the big striker failed to even make contact just eight yards out.
Holland had a measure of composed control, and on 18 minutes van Nistelrooy got away from Frank Baumann, despite being dragged back by his shirt, but was allowed to run on only to fire his shot well wide of the far post.
Germany had failed to push forward at this point, but then had three efforts in three minutes that could have broken the deadlock. First Worns saw a shot saved from Bernd Schneider's cross before Dietmar Hamann set up Kuranyi for a 25-yard effort that Edwin van der Sar tipped over. From the corner, Worns arrived unchallenged six yards out to send a header into the ground and up over the bar.
The action became heated and Holland started to lose their cool. It was to cost them. Phillip Cocu was booked for felling Lahm on 30 minutes out on the left touchline. And when Frings' free-kick curled into the box, it was missed by everyone and crept in at the far post to give Germany the lead.
Holland, having started with control and possession, now saw Germany take control, although the Dutch came close to equalising when Rafael van der Vaart fizzed a shot past Kahn's left post.
Holland changed things at the break. Bolo Zenden and Edgar Davids were replaced by Marc Overmars and Wesley Sneijder, while van der Vaart moved into a deep striking role to try to give van Nistelrooy some support.
But it was now Michael Ballack, without Davids dogging his heels who dominated - one 20-yarder fizzed just over the bar. Germany's defiance and organisation was now a huge obstacle even if Holland were getting more of the ball.
Defender Wilfred Bouma almost got on the end of a swirling van der Vaart free-kick at the far post as Holland desperately pushed forward. Frings saw an angled close-range effort blocked by Giovanni van Bronckhorst but Germany threatened to grab another as Holland started to leave more space at the back.
But after 73 minutes Holland finally gave van Nistelrooy some support up front as Pierre van Hooijdonk emerged from the bench.
Van Hooijdonk started to cause problems for the German defence and he helped create an opening for the equaliser. He dragged the defence out of position allowing van der Meyde to get the ball in from the right, and van Nistelrooy got to the near post first to hook home the equaliser.
Four minutes later Fredi Bobic came on for Kuranyi, with Holland now on top. Cocu had a header punched away by Kahn as the Dutch swarmed around the German goal but they deservedly held out.
Filed by Barry J Whyte
