This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Rio de Janeiro • Mats Hummels headed in a free kick to give Germany a 1-0 lead over France in an all-European World Cup quarterfinal match on Friday.
The center back, recalled to the Germany team after a bout of flu, outmuscled his marker, Raphael Varane, to get to an inswinging free kick by Toni Kroos and glanced a header in off the crossbar in the 13th minute.
France started nervously — particularly at the back — but looked dangerous with balls over Germany's high line in defense.
Mathieu Valbuena had France's best chance, a hooked left-foot volley that was parried away by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. Karim Benzema pounced on the rebound but his close-range effort was blocked. The French striker also shot straight at Neuer late in the half.
The more experienced German lineup, seeking to reach the semifinals for a fourth straight World Cup, had a more robust appearance in muggy conditions at Maracana stadium after making a slew of changes following a sloppy 2-1 second-round win over Algeria.
Veteran striker Miroslav Klose started up front for Germany but had no clear-cut opportunity to score a record-setting 16th goal at a World Cup.