Berlin, March 27 (IANS) England's 3-2 win against Germany at the Olympiastadion in a football friendly match brings back memories from 2001 when it enjoyed perhaps its highest point in the last two decades.
Back in 2001, England stunned Germany with a thrashing 5-1 victory at the heart of the Munich Olympic Stadium, despite being down 0-1 after six minutes into the 2002 World Cup qualifiers game, reports Efe.
The memorable match ended with a stunning comeback after Michael Owen netted a hat-trick, while Steven Gerrard and Emile Heskey scored the two other goals.
On Saturday, Toni Kroos scored first for Germany, followed by a goal by striker Mario Gomez, who missed his place in the German squad during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Despite being 0-2 down, England launched a hard-fought campaign in the second half, and managed to make a roaring comeback, starting with a goal by Harry Kane in the 61st minute, and followed by the equaliser by Jamie Vardy on 75 minutes, just four minutes after coming onto the pitch as a substitute. Finally, Eric Dier scored the winning goal in the first minute of stoppage time.
This is perhaps Vardy's top moment in an outstanding season, in which he is leading Leicester City at the top of the English Premier League's table, and has thus far scored 19 goals in a record-breaking campaign, in which he netted in 11 consecutive Premier League matches in 2015, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy's previous record.
Vardy, 29, did not only score a stunning heal goal from a well-executed cross, it was his first ever international goal; against world champions Germany and in Berlin, a memory that neither he nor England fans will forget very soon.
After Saturday's thrilling away win, England manager Roy Hodgson hailed the winning comeback and described the win as his best night with England so far.
England will be playing another friendly against Holland next Tuesday at the Wembley Stadium, in which the young team will seek to maintain its good performance as well as its image as a group that can actually make a difference in France during the anticipated Euro 2016 next summer.
