Photographs: Stu Forster/Getty Images
Come rain or the blazing sun, Thomas Mueller was going to shine for Germany!
The heat couldn’t stop the big built German striker who scored the first of his three goals in the 4-0 rout of the team they feared most in Group G and he was soon involved in an incident that all but ended Portugal's hopes of a comeback.
"At half-time we looked up and thought 'Hoopla'!" Mueller told Germany's ARD television.
"There was still a long match ahead of us and it was really hot in the sun."
Mueller, who won the Golden Boot of the 2010 World Cup with five goals in six appearances, said he had not been looking for a clash with Pepe but was not about to back down against the defender either.
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'I'm not the kind of guy who gets easily scared'
Photographs: Francois Xavier Marit - Pool/Getty Images
"I've experienced a number of things in international football matches over the last four years and I'm not the kind of guy who gets easily scared," said the 24-year-old Mueller.
The Bayern Munich striker, who has now scored 20 goals for Germany in 50 matches, said he and his teammates had a great time running up the score against Portugal and even lamented the fact they wasted several good chances in the first half.
"We had some good counter-attacks as well and could have even scored more if we took advantage of our chances," he said.
"It was great. Each goal that went in seemed to be better than the one before it."
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