Against a background of taunts, memories of past failure and a shock defeat in its last match, Germany captain Michael Ballack said it was character rather than ability that earned his team an unconvincing 1-0 win over Austria and a place in the quarterfinals of the European Championship.
After a scrappy and tense first half in which Austria troubled its underperforming opponent, Ballack smashed in a 25-meter (yard) free kick to give Germany a narrow victory Monday over its smaller neighbor and ensure there was no repeat of what is known as "The Miracle of Cordoba."
A draw with Poland four days ago meant that a win over the pre-tournament favorite …
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