Ghost of World Cup past looms over US, Germany

The spectre of one of the most infamous episodes in World Cup history looms over Germany and the United States as they clash tomorrow for a place in the last 16.
The two teams each have four points heading into their final Group G match and a draw here would see both qualify at the expense of Portugal and Ghana, who play in Brasilia.
The sense of intrigue has been heightened by the fact that Germany coach Joachim Loew and the United States' boss Jurgen Klinsmann are old friends.
The match scenario has evoked memories of a notorious 1982 World Cup game between Austria and West Germany.

That match in the Spanish city of Gijon ended in controversy after the two sides effectively conspired to secure a 1-0 victory for the Germans, allowing them to qualify ahead of Algeria.
The shockwaves from that encounter continue to be felt today.

FIFA subsequently changed the rules, ordering that all final games in the group phase of the World Cup should kick-off simultaenously.
Press conferences for Germany and the United States this week have been littered with references to the 1982 scandal, with Klinsmann forcefully rejecting any suggestion of an arrangement this time.
"You're talking about a game that is decades ago," Klinsmann said when asked about the match known as the "Disgrace of Gijon.