FINAL -- Netherlands 1 Germany 3; Third-Fourth: New Zealand 1 Australia 4.FINAL STANDING: 1 Germany, 2 Netherlands, 3 Australia, 4 New Zealand, 5 Pakistan, 6 Argentina, 7 South Korea, 8 Spain, 9 India, 10 Poland, 11 Belgium, 12 Malaysia, 13 Japan, 14 Egypt, 15 South Africa, 16 England, 17 Chile, 18 Russia, 19 Singapore, 20 USA.
ROLL-OF-HOOUR: Best Player of the Final: Florian Fuchs (Germany)
Best Player of the Tournament: Simon Child (New Zealand).
Best Goalkeeper: Nicklas Sakowsky (Germany)
Top Scorer: Mink van der Weerden (Netherlands, 13 goals).
Fairplay: Germany.
IT was not a moment of brilliance as predicted by German skipper Martin Haner, but a Dutch blunder which landed the Germans their fifth Junior World Cup title at the Taman Daya Stadium in Johor Baru yesterday.
The match was tied 1-1 and looked like it was heading towards the sudden-death, but a boo-boo by Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak gave the Germans the break they were looking for and they went on to win 3-1. For the record, the Germans were also champions in 1982, 1985, 1989 and 1993.
The Dutch were contended with moving the ball around, and kept attacking at the minimum. Most of the forwards went into the semi-circle looking for a penalty corner, and they finally got it in the 21st minute.
Tournament top-scorer Mink van der Weerden took his tally to 13 with a powerful drag-flick, and the ball was almost invincible until it went crashing into the net.
Germany were shocked, but fought back for the equaliser with a series of attacks, and the capacity crowd went wild when Marco Miltkau deflected home in the 24th minute, and the match finally started.
The half-time hooter saw them entering the dressing room tied on goals, but the Germans had more circle penatrations, and looked deadlier, while the Dutch kept looking for their second penalty corner, but it never came.
Instead, it was the Germans who won their first penalty corner in the 41st minute, but their set-piece was too fancy and the score remained.
The Dutch were in their element, and defended well, but a 56th minute blunder by their goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak saw them trailing.
A tame cross from the right reached Blaak, who was under no pressure to make a clearance, but he kicked softly towards his defender, but the ball reached Florian Fuchs and he cooly tucked in the lead.
And even before the Ducth could recover, Jan Fleckhaus scored off a melee in the 61st minute, and it was good enough to land the Germans their fifth title.
Meanwhile, Australia outclassed their neighbors New Zealand 4-1 in the bronze playoff.
Australia went on a scoring spree and were 3-0 by half-time, with a brace from Timothy Bates (14th, 27th) and Michael Bates (27th). New Zealand pulled one back in the 47th minute with an effort from Joseph Bartholomew, but Adrian Lockley locked out the Kiws out with a 69th minute goal.
