体坛英语新闻：Schalke 04 sweep Cottbus to move closer to European stage

BERLIN, April 17 (Xinhua) -- German football powerhouse Schalke 04 swept Energie Cottbus 4-0 on Friday, thus making themselves closer to the UEFA Cup position.

    For Cottbus, this defeat brings the team into a difficult struggle to remain in the Bundesliga.

As the only match in the Bundesliga this Friday, Schalke started with a powerful performance. The team kept the defence of Energie Cottbus under pressure.

    Just four minutes after kickoff, Schalke took the lead by a goal of defender and German national Christian Pander who left-footed from outside the box, approximately 30 meters far, to the bottom left corner.

Dimitar Rangelov of Cottbus (to) is tackled by Jermaine Jones of Schalke 04 during their German Bundesliga soccer match in Gelsenkirchen April 17, 2009

    For Cottbus goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel this shot was unsaveable specially because the ball was deflected by his own defender Mariusz Kukielka.

    The highly-motivated "Kingblues" (Schalke 04) pressed on Cottbus in search of another early goal. But only 20 minutes later Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi laid the ball off to the edge of box to his team striker Halil Altintop, who doubled the lead from 16 meters right-foot shot.

    At the beginning of the second half, Energie Cottbus earned a free kick, shot by Atan Cagday was the first time the team tested Schalke's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

    However, in the 60th minute midfielder and German national Jermaine Jones scored, and in the 88th minute, ex-German national Kevin Kuranyi added another goal.

    With the three points, Schalke 04 climbed up one position to take the sixth place, while Cottbus remained second from bottom at the Bundesliga standings.