Group D Germany v Republic of Ireland: Michael Ballack is German so, need it be said, he speaks English. Not, though, comfortably enough to do an English language interview, he says apologetically. In near perfect English.

It could be, though, that the sight of several hyperventilating and slightly frenzied young German girls, pressing their noses on the window looking in to the mixed zone, had frightened him off.

Miroslav Klose doesn't appear at all, perhaps forewarned that there's a strange-looking chap also pressing his nose against the glass, his German shirt bearing Klose's number, but not his name: instead it just says "Christ".

So, we're off again, explaining how we opted for needlework, or some such subject, instead of German in the Leaving because we were told it was easier to pass. Any chance of an auld translation? "For sure," says the, need it be said, multi-lingual German.

"Ireland are a very good team and they were very strong, especially at the start," Ballack, apparently, said. "We did not start too well and were lucky not to fall behind early but after a while we also made some chances, so we just had to stay patient."

The German goal? "Lucky," said Ballack, "it just took a lucky deflection and went in. Ireland are no pushovers at all. This was hard work and the victory did not come easy, but we played with great discipline. At the end we deserved to win but it did not come easy at all."

Robbie Keane agreed with Ballack on the "luck" issue, but agreed to differ on the matter of Germany deserving their win.

"I think we played well, and I think we deserved something from the game," he said. "But we can take a lot from the passion and commitment and hard work we put in tonight, but of course we're disappointed that we lost."

Keane suffered the misery of deflecting Lukas Podolski's free-kick past Shay Given, but, he believed the free-kick should never have been given.

"I don't think it was a free, to be honest, but the ref seemed to give a few things to them tonight, but not for ourselves, so in that respect we are disappointed.

"It's by no means going to be easy in the group from now on, but we can still do it if we show the desire we did against Germany. After Holland we were heavily criticised, so we knew we had to bounce back, and other than the result I think we did that. We took the game to Germany, especially in the first half, and we had a few half-chances we were unlucky with. The consolation is we've probably got the hardest game out of the way, although there are other teams in this group who will be just as difficult."

Shay Given, not for the first time Ireland's shining light in a major game, was trying to remain positive about the rest of the campaign. "It's only one game," he said, "and we've got to take a lot of heart from the way we played, especially in the first half. We kept possession well and maybe if we created a few more chances we might have nicked a goal. They looked a little bit nervous at times and we played well in parts.

"I didn't think it was a free kick in the first place," he said, echoing his captain's thoughts on that fateful German set-piece. "The shot was even going wide. I was going to the right to cover it, then it hits Robbie's foot, or something, and it's gone right across to the left. I just couldn't get there. It could have gone anywhere but it went the Germans' way tonight. That's how it goes for you some days."

Richard Dunne, too, felt the gods were against the Irish. "Just the luck wasn't with us tonight, it looked like we might hold out for a draw and then they get a lucky goal," he said.

"Our performance against Holland last month was poor and people were right to criticise us, but I think that was a one-off. We were determined tonight to show people that we are still a good side," he said.

"The Germans are first seeds in the group, we're the fourth seeds, so we knew how tough a game it would be. But we've shown up well tonight and I think we're quite capable of getting a result in Cyprus."