Germany and Greece are on the pitch at PEG Arena in Gdansk, Poland for their quarterfinal match at Euro 2012, and if you can't watch the action live, follow along here for live updates as a hot Mario Gomez looks to lead the No. 3 national team in the world into the tournament semifinals with a win over Michalis Sifakis and the surprising Greek side.
The winner of this match gets a semifinal date with the winner of Sunday's matchup between England and Italy, and while Germany is riding high after going through the "Group of Death" with a perfect record - the only team at Euro 2012 to finish the group stage unbeaten - Greece has pulled off one upset already in this tournament with a win over Russia, and if the Greeks can defend as well as they have since Sifakis relieved Kostas Chalkias in goal, they're capable of giving the mighty Germans a run for their money.
The action is just about to begin in Poland, so keep following Sports World Report's live blog and leave your thoughts on all of the action in the comments section. Who's going on to the semifinals? We'll know in the next 90 minutes of play.
1' - Action is underway at PEG Arena, Sifakis in goal for Greece, Manuel Neuer in goal for Germany, and Mario Gomez on the bench to start this one. Interesting call as the Greeks kick off.
2' - Greece very tentative to start this one, looking to keep a methodical pace. The Greeks know they have almost no margin for error, but that hasn't kept them from turning the ball over in their own half of the pitch.
3' - Sami Khedira down on the pitch for Germany after a tough challenge from Samaras. He stays in, though.
5' - Germany looked to be on the board, but the offside flag was up. Sifakis is down, however, and receiving attention from the medical staff. He's good to stay in, however.
9' - Germany leaving no doubt as to who the stronger side is early on, but still a few miscues, including a turnover and a somewhat dangerous ball that Neuer had to run out and scoop up before Salpingidis could get to it.
13' - Sifakis still not quite right after being crashed into by Germany's forwards who tried to clean up on the Khedira rebound. He gets more attention, but stays in.
14' - Free kick to Germany after Khedira is fouled by Samaras, but Greece gets the ball.
15' - Yellow card to Samaras after he fouled his opposite No. 7, Bastian Schweinsteiger. Bit of a light foul for the yellow card, but it was also an ill-advised bit of contact.
18' - Greece starting to get a bit more possession time, but a poor pass by Ninis gives the ball right back to the Germans.
23' - Germany with some of its best sustained possession of the match, culminating in a nice chance or Ozil. Sifakis right on point for the save, though.
24' - Another big save for Sifakis, as Germany starts to assert itself more.
25' - Reus sends one just wide for Germany and Greece is now playing with fire. If the defense doesn't get things together, Germany is going to score soon.
28' - Papastahapoulos down holding his ankle after he's caught by a passing German.
29' - Near miss for Sifakis, who cleared it away just before an onrushing forward got to him. Greece is hanging on here, but Germany is getting closer and closer
30' - Reus wants something after getting knocked down just outside the box, but nothing doing.
32' - Samaras on a good run for Greece, but Germany catches up to him before it can turn into anything of note, and it goes out off of Tzavellas.
33' - Ninis puts a solid shot toward the goal, but Neuer is right where he needs to be to pull the ball in.
34' - Great ball control by Schurrle to keep it away from Greece, but no one is there to clean up on his cross, and it goes out.
35' - Maybe the best shot of the day for the Germans, but Sifakis continues to get the job done for Greece. He's showing that his play against the Czechs and Russians was no fluke.
39' - GOAL, GERMANY! And it's Philipp Lahm firing it into the top right corner of the net. Good effort from Sifakis to save it, but it goes off of his outstretched hand and in for the score. Germany 1-0 Greece.
42' - Germany hasn't been shut out in its last 20 matches, tying for the longest such streak in the history of the national team.
43' - Germany definitely energized by the goal, and Greece, which has never won when conceding the first goal, is under pressure here.
45' - Germany controlling the ball so well on offense, it's hard to imagine Greece getting the opportunities they need to tie it.
45' + 1 - Into the first of three minutes of stoppage time.
45' + 2 - Schurrle's shot is just INCHES wide, and his frustration is visible. With the way Germany is controlling the play, though, he'll undoubtedly have more chances.
HALFTIME, GERMANY 1-0 GREECE. A solid start for Germany, as they get the lead and have Greece under control, and they did it without their top scorer sitting on the bench. Nothing to complain about, in all honesty. Greece was fighting off the chances early, but there's only so much that can be done.
46' - Play has resumed at PGE Arena. Fotakis in for Tzvellas for Greece as a halftime substitution.
53' - Germany really picking up right where they left off. Greece puts together a nice little run for Samaras and Theofanis Gekas, but Neuer scoops it up before any real danger presented itself.
55' - GOAL, GREECE! Samaras on a great run with Salpingidis, and Samaras gets to Salpingidis' cross just a split second before Neuer to send it home. Germany 1-1 Greece.
61' - GOAL, GERMANY! Khedira roofs one off a nice high cross from Boateng to put his nation right back on top. Germany 2-1 Greece.
64' - Timely defense grom Greece prevents the Germans from getting another shot off, but the Germans are definitely finding their chances now.
67' - Thomas Muller on for Germany now, replacing Schurrle. Schurrle had a nice game even if he wasn't rewarded with a goal.
68' - GOAL, GERMANY! And it's Miroslav Klose with a textbook header off the free kick, putting Germany up by two and all but putting Greece away. Germany 3-1 Greece.
70' - Samaras tries to take it the other way for Greece, but he can't get it past Boateng defending for Germany.
72' - Substitution for Greece, as Grigoris Makos is done for the day. He'll yield to Nikos Liberopoulos.
74' - GOAL, GERMANY! Sifakis makes the stop on the initial shot by Klose, but the rebound comes right to an oncoming Reus, who blasts it into the top of the net. Germany 4-1 Greece.
75' - Yellow card for Papastathopoulos after he knocked down Khedira.
77' - Germany not easing up on the gas at all. Really going after it, comitting a foul trying to get to the ball, even with the three-goal lead.
79' - Gomez comes on to replace Klose. Interesting to bring the top scorer in the tournament onto the pitch with the game already in the bag, but there you go. He's not the only Mario in, either, as Mario Gotze replaces Reus.
81' - Gomez tried to get in on the action by cleaning up on an Ozil rebound, but he puts it wide. He was offside on the initial shot anyway, although no flag went up.
83' - Fair shot by Fotakis, but Neuer hauls it in without much trouble.
85' - Samaras still giving it everything he's got out there, but his latest run is broken up by Hummels.
89' - GOAL, GREECE! Penalty shot awarded to Salpingidis after a hand ball on Boateng, and Neuer guesses wrong. He dives toward the left corner of the net and Salpingidis puts it in the right side. Germany 4-2 Greece.
90' - We'll have two minutes added.
90 + 2' - Geece going for it until the bitter end, Liberopoulos fouling Boateng in an effort to win a corner, but no dice.
FULL TIME, GERMANY 4-2 GREECE. A gutsy effort for the Greeks, but Germany was just too strong. Four different goal-scorers for the Germans, and they're through to the semifinals and the winner of England and Italy. Thanks for reading.
