WORLD CUP/Group A: Ecuador 0, Germany 3 It was a football carnival on the outer circle of the Metropolis. Perhaps they will not emulate their forefathers of 1954, 1974 and 1990 but as they announce their safe passage through Group A with this emphatic victory in the sunshine of Berlin, it is becoming increasingly hard to ignore the persuasive nature of Jürgen Klinsmann's young team.
With hardly a worry all afternoon, Germany enjoyed another warm and powerful demonstration of national celebration in the stone-cut splendour of the famous Olympiastadion, the stunning amphitheatre that dominates the landscape around Spandau.
This was easily their most convincing performance, a declaration they really could not care which country they will meet in the last 16 of the competition. The disappointingly meek and blunted performance of Ecuador, who looked as though the thrills of the last week have left them emotionally spent, made this an easier match for the Germans than it might have been had these teams met earlier in the group.
But after promising a victory during the week, Klinsmann's team delivered with what was in many ways a classical Germanic display of sharpness and industry. It also represents an encouraging improvement from their wildly unpredictable show against Costa Rica in the fun-filled opening night.
They may not be the most extravagantly gifted country left in the tournament but whatever happens, it cannot be said now that Germany do not look like a football team.
Perhaps Ecuador, exploring new ground with each game, were simply overwhelmed by the grandeur of this Berlin stage. Composed as Luis Suarez's team have been to date, when the home team lined up to sing a rousing version of their anthem, it must have been impossible for the South Americans to be unaffected by the emotion and energy of the Olympiastadion.
And there was an explicit - and arguably timid - acknowledgement of the difficulty of the task in Suarez's decision to rest his captain Ivan Hurtado along with the first-choice strike force of Agustin Delgado and Carlos Tenario. If Ecuador turn up for their second-round appointment revitalised, this conservative move will be lauded as far-thinking. But it took the edge and continuity out of their game here, and Germany had the game wrapped up with half an hour to go.
The first two goals were exemplary finishes from the white-hot Miroslav Klose. The gaunt and understated Werder Bremen man gave Germany an early lead with a technically brilliant first-time strike on Bastian Schweinsteiger's instinctive cut-back from deep in the box. It was a lazy sort of goal from the Ecuadorian perspective, their defence failing to deal with what was a speculative lob from the left by Per Mertesacker and then failing to cut out the crucial angles.
Relaxing into the task, the Germans engineered another path to goal for Klose two minutes before half-time. Ballack, standing in front of Ecuador's central defensive pairing, chipped a nonchalant through ball. Klose timed his sprint perfectly, muscling the blundering Giovanni Espinoza out of his road and controlling the ball with his left knee as he rounded Critian Mora.
As most of the 72,000 fans in the Olympiastadion cheered delightedly at Klose's celebration, it looked for a moment as if his forward colleague Lukas Podolski was going to bow down in some sort of personal crisis. Klose's rampant confidence and precision have accentuated Podolski's struggle to come to terms with the faith Klinsmann has shown in him. He did not have a bad first half here, supplying Bernd Schneider with a fine lay-off for his volley on 30 minutes. But the chances seemed to fall more naturally to Klose.
Early in the second half, the brilliant speed of wing back Phillip Lahm left Podolski with a great chance from the edge of the box but a shot that looked perfect was inches beyond Mora's post. That tantalising miss seemed to sum up the Cologne man's luck.
But 10 minutes into the second half, it all changed with a wonderful German counter-attack from an Ecuador corner. Per Mertesacker threw himself to block the ball and Schweinsteiger clipped a ball out to Klose on the flanks. For once, Podolski was in the hot spot and Klose's cross was like manna from heaven, low and swerving across what Mark Lawrenson has named "the corridor of uncertainty" for Podolski to finish with a velvety touch. It was hard to know who was more delighted, Podolski or Klinsmann.
At 3-0, there was nothing much left but to play it out in the fiery summer heat. Michael Ballack was at the heart of Germany's most creative spells, brilliant and controlled except for one careless ball from which right back Arne Friedrich got him out of jail. Replacement full back Robert Huth gave an effortless master class.
It was all Germany and the suddenly telepathic front two might have had a fourth on 58 minutes after Ballack dispossessed Ambrosi before sending through another telling assist. At the finish Germany looked the picture of assurance and happiness. It will take a team of great nerve to silence the growing roar sweeping through Klinsmann's Deutschland.
SUBSTITUTIONS
ECUADOR: Lara for Valencia (63 mins), Urrutia for Ayovi (68 mins), Benitez for Borja (45 mins). Subs not used: Castillo, Delgado, Hurtado, Lanza, Perlaza, Reasco, Saritama, Carlos Tenorio, Villafuerte. Booked: Valencia.
GERMANY: Borowski for Frings (66 mins), Asamoah for Schneider (72 mins), Neuville for Klose (66 mins). Subs not used: Hanke, Hildebrand, Hitzlsperger, Jansen, Kahn, Kehl, Metzelder, Nowotny, Odonkor. Booked: Borowski.
Referee: Valentin Ivanov (Russia).
