Germany-Portugal Mini-Final
Germany take the field against Portugal in the penultimate match of the 2006 World Cup. Though both teams are coming down from hard losses in the semi-finals, nearly all the players have said they won't be thinking of what could have been when they take the field in Stuttgart.

Starting line-ups announced
Here's how both teams will start:

Germany (4-4-2)

Oliver Kahn; Philipp Lahm, Christoph Metzelder, Jens Nowotny, Marcell Jansen; Bernd Schneider, Sebastian Kehl, Torsten Frings, Bastian Schweinsteiger; Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose

Coach: Jürgen Klinsmann

Portugal (4-5-1)

Ricardo; Paulo Ferreira, Fernando Meira, Ricardo Costa, Nuno Valente; Costinho, Maniche, Simao Sabrosa, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco; Pauleta

Coach: Luiz Felipe Scolari

Referee: Toru Kamikawa (Japan)

After digesting their semi-final defeats, Germany and Portugal are left to play out the consolation World Cup third-place match. Portuguese star Luis Figo will start the match on the bench but is expected to make an appearance in the game that will be his sendoff from international soccer. German goalkeeper Oliver Kahn will collect his 86th cap. Kahn is on for starting keeper Jen Lehmann and will and wear the captain's armband as Michael Ballack is sidelined with injury.

Germany's Torsten Frings is also back after a game suspension for his role in a post-match scuffle against Argentina.

Germany's last World Cup match in front of a supportive home crowd -- let's hope they both teams play the type of fast-moving, aggressive soccer that's been lacking since the tournament's early rounds.

The German anthem has started and the crowd is belting it out with their new-found patriotism.

The captains Kahn and Pauleta exchange pleasantries with referee Kamikawa and the game is ready to start.

1. min.
The game is on
Portugal kick off.

2. min.
Boos and whistles for the Portuguese as they pass the ball around the Germans.

4. min.
Kahn has returned to himself with a cool look at his defenders, who kick the ball out for safety's sake. Klose seems to have got the message on a break away through the center. He passes off to Schneider, but the defense recovers.

5. min.
Kehl calls for a hand
Kehl shoots in a half-volley and it looks like Valente blocked it from the open goal with his hand but there is no call.

7. min.
Yellow for Frings


8. min.
Deco sends in a ball to the top of the German wall and it's headed out of danger.

10. min.
Schweinsteiger sends a pass from midfield to Klose who gets off a shot that sends Ricardo diving and hits the side netting. It looks like Klose's teammates want to make sure he improves his chances at winning the Golden Boot.

12. min.
The Portuguese are attacking the ball early in the German half, forcing the defenders to pass quickly -- and inaccurately. Lahm gives away one and Portugal's Simao receives a pass from Ronaldo only to send the cross to no one.

14. min.
Kahn catches his first
Valente flicks a ball onto Simao with the outside of his foot, but Simao is double teamed immediately and fouled. Deco hits the ball into the goal box and Oliver "King" Kahn gets his first touch of the tournament to the crowd's delight.

16. min.
Pauleta times his run perfectly for a pass from Simao and Kahn makes his first good save of the game blocking down the one-on-one opportunity.

17. min.
Germany's supporters are trying to bring some life into their team as the German midfield gives way once again to the Portuguese.

18. min.
Welcome back Torsten
Germany should be glad they have Frings back as his slide keeps a dangerous pass from reaching its target.

21. min.
Kehl sends an unexpected shot towards goal after making himself some room but Ricardo is able to dive backwards enough to slap the ball over the crossbar.

23. min.
Germany have a turn
After watching Portugal have the better chances for the first 15 to 19 minutes, Germany are back in the Portuguese end and pressuring their defense.

24. min.
Costa booked
Klose was about to recollect the ball after beating the defender, but is held back and wins a free kick from about 25 yards out.

26. min.
Podolski has a go
Podolski rockets the ball toward net, but it's too close to Ricardo and the keeper parries it off. Schneider collects the ball and Germany keep up the attack.

28. min.
Third place better than Berlin?
The crowd breaks out into a round of "Stuttgart is Better than Berlin," but no one on the field seems convinced.

29. min.
Germany get another good free kick just outside the penalty area. Have they been working on this in training?

30. min.
Apparently not.
Schneider fires away and the ball sails over goal.

31. min.
Cristiano Ronaldo is still getting whistles whenever he touches the ball. What does the German crowd have against the man? Did he not suffer enough against France?

32. min.
Nowotny, on his first move forward, tries a through ball to Schweinsteiger, but hits it like he's clearing the ball and the striker can't reach it.

33. min.
Costinha booked
Pull a player's jersey at full sprint and the ref has a card for you. It's a new lesson to a complaining Costinha.

34. min.
This time Frings has a turn on the free kick and proves he does belong in the German team as the ball, again, flies wide.

36. min.
Lahm makes a reappearance in the match after seeming to disappear from the face of the pitch by giving away a corner kick. Unlike his quite colleague between the posts, Kahn's typical barks are easy to pick out.

39. min.
Ronaldo breaks away down the side to the end line and gets his cross past Kehl -- but not the diving Kahn.

40. min.
The ref saw a deflection no one else did and gives Portuguese were lining up for a corner. Klinsmann is upset, but this is not the call that is going to chance the face of the match -- that would have been the handball in the fifth minute.

42. min.
Maniche gets caught throwing the ball forward and Kahn sends the ball well past midfield. The Germans aren't able to win it and Portugal come back at him.

44. min.
Klose lets himself fall
Klose breaks away after getting the ball for himself at midfield, a defender leaves a leg in his way and Klose lets himself fall over it. The ref sees the ball bounce to Frings and lets the advantage go.

45. min.
Ronaldo dives...
... and doesn't make any friends in Stuttgart.

45. min.
One minute of extra time


45+1. min.
Maniche gets his first chance to apply his famous long-range shot, but it goes over the crossbar.

45+1. min.
Halftime in Stuttgart
A decent first half in the match for third place. Both teams had a couple of chances.

45+1. min.
Goals are the main thing missing from this match. The players can't be blamed too much after exhausting semi-final matches and the lack of adrenaline that can only accompany playing in the final.

45+1. min.
The Germans file back to the field and the second half isn't too far off. We just need the Portuguese.

46. min.
Everyone is back and the game is on
Germany kick off the second 45.

46. min.
Petit on for Costinha
One change for Portugal to start the second half.

48. min.
Germany have sped up the pace of the game since coming out of the locker room. Lahm attacks on the German right side and gets the ball to Klose but the striker is surrounded and the ball is cleared.

48. min.
Ferreira shoots
Portugal shoot at the other end but Kahn simply escorts the ball as its soars past the post.

49. min.
Jensen gets a semi-dangerous, low cross but it's a little slow and Ricardo is able to jump on it in front of Podolski.

50. min.
Schweini slides late into Maniche, giving Portugal a dangerous free kick.

51. min.
Simao must train with Germany
His kick goes over the wall and over the goal. All he can do is pull at his hair and swear to the sky.

53. min.
Pauleta tricks Metzelder and places the ball on his weak left foot -- the shot doesn't pose a problem for Kahn.

55. min.
Ronaldo falls inside the penalty box and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" comes to mind as the ref waves the Portuguese player to his feet.

56. min.
Nowotny passes to Podolski and he doesn't take long before deciding to flick the ball to a charging Klose, but the striker is offsides and correctly called for it.

56. min.
GOAL GERMANY!
Schweini scores with a rocket of a shot that flew past a Ricardo who was caught going the wrong way. It's Schweinsteiger's first goal of the Cup.

58. min.
Figo looks on as his teammates warm up. Will we see any of Luis in his final match that was meant to be his sending off party?

60. min.
Lahm gets a long cross from Schweinsteiger and volleys it with his right foot. He got Germany's first goal of the tournament and almost gave himself a spot in the team's history book for possibly scoring their last as well.

61. min.
2-0 for Germany on own goal!


62. min.
Schweinsteiger gets the free kick after Ferreira was booked for a foul on Podolski and hits it right into the box where it bounces off Petit and into goal.

63. min.
At the other end
Deco breaks away and tests Kahn who even after months without real experience is back in his old form.

65. min.
Olli, Olli, Olli,
The cheers Germany got used to for eight years are back after Kahn's two solid saves within minutes of each other.

65. min.
Neuville on for Klose
Massive applause for Klose from the Stuttgart crowd.

68. min.
Now it's Klinsmann's turn to get Stuttgart's support. Everyone in black, red and gold is hoping he'll stay on the German bench for at least two more years.

69. min.
Where is everyone?
Schweinsteiger finds Podolski alone in the box in a re-run of the Confederations Cup, but Podolski tries to let the ball roll past him to an attacking player, but none is found.

70. min.
Nuno Valente makes room for Nuno Gomes
An offensive change for Portugal.

71. min.
Kehl finds Schweinsteiger on Germany's left wing; the striker tries to set himself up for a break-away but can't get a good touch on the ball.

71. min.
Klinsi shakes up the lineup
Mike Henke comes on for Podolski.

73. min.
Ronaldo beats Lahm on the wing and gets off a cross that lands in Kahn's arms before falling to the ground. Does he have stock in grass stain remover?

76. min.
The action is going end-to-end now as Portugal and Germany both move quickly through the midfield. Still, the added speed hasn't improved either team's chances.

77. min.
Pauleta leaves and Figo comes on to say goodbye


78. min.
Schweinsteiger makes it three


78. min.
Schweini makes his own space at the top of the penalty area and curves a ball past Ricardo. Then he's booked for pulling off his shirt in celebration -- do't think Bastian is really going to care.

80. min.
And Schweini comes off
Thomas Hitzlsperger takes his first step on the 2006 World Cup pitch.

81. min.
Poor Timo, all alone on the bench
Timo Hildebrand, the team's third goalkeeper, is the only German not to have played in the World Cup on home soil.

83. min.
Kahn saves off Metzelder's head. Germany nearly gave Portugal the gift of an own goal. Only Olli's shins get between the ball and the net.

85. min.
Kahn reverses halfway through a move to the other side of goal and is just able to get a fist on a Ronaldo free kick from well out. None of the Portuguese players is able to get a foot on the rebound and Lahm clears.

86. min.
Neuville can't give Hanke the ball back
Both out of practice. Neuville isn't able to play a quick ball back to Hanke on a 2-on-2 breakaway as the forward would have been offsides.

87. min.
Hitzlsperger makes a case
In his first match, Hitzlsperger controls Germany's right wing. This man wants a place in the starting 11 and is trying to show why he deserves it.

88. min.
Goal Portugal
Silence falls in Stuttgart and even the celebration music waits a moment before coming on.

89. min.
Figo shows why he's a star and crosses the ball to completely unmarked Nuno Gomez who heads into the back of Kahn's Net. Nothing to be too angry about Oliver, your defense let you down.

90. min.
Two minutes stoppage time
The game is closing and the Germans are content passing the ball backwards to keep possession.

90+2. min.
Germany take third place
That's it from Stuttgart!

Klinsi shares plenty of hugs with his team after they claim third place in the 2006 World Cup. Could it be the last time he's on the Germany bench -- the fans hope not.

Goodbyes are said
All the players have come onto the field to say goodbye. Figo and Kahn share some words together. The players look generally content with a well-played tournament, but the tears and celebrations we'll be seeing tomorrow are missing.

Two years of hard work for Germany have come to an end for Jürgen Klinsmann and the young team he put together to win the World Cup. He didn't manage to pull the feat off, but there is nothing but smiles on the field tonight.

The third and fourth place medals are about to be awarded
The players are sure to accept them without thinking too much about what could have been. Stay with the DW-WORLD.DE live ticker for all the action from tomorrow's World Cup final between Italy and France.