Dubai - Mario Gomez ended a 15-game goal drought for Germany by scoring four goals in a 7-2 defeat of the United Arab Emirates in a friendly international in Dubai Tuesday. Heiko Westermann and Piotr Trochowski were also on target, with Faris Juma scoring an own goal, at the Al-Maktoum Stadium as Germany ran out easy winners.
Gomez had last scored for Germany in March 2008, but ended his lean spell stretching to 830 minutes when he was set up by Lukas Podolski to tap in Germany's third in the 35th minute.
The striker, moving from VfB Stuttgart to Bayern Munich for a Bundesliga record of 30 million euros (43 million dollars), added a second and Germany's fourth in first-half stoppage time from a cross by Andreas Hinkel.
A third followed shortly after the break when put through by his Stuttgart strike partner Cacau, who had come on at the interval for Podolski.
Schalke defender Heiko Westermann poked in Germany's opener in the 29th minute and Piotr Trochowski swept in a cross from Hinkel in the 39th after Podolski had fed the overlapping Celtic defender.
A sixth goal came when Juma put a shot from acting captain Bastian Schweinsteiger into his own net in the 52nd minute.
Gomez completed the goal gala with his fourth in stoppage time from the tightest of angles after he had rounded the keeper.
"It's a huge relief. Perhaps they weren't the strongest opponent but it's good this curse is over at long last," Gomez said.
The UAE had responded immediately after Germany's sixth goal with an Ismael Salem shot just outside the area, and substitute Nawaf Mubarak beat the diving Manuel Neuer - making a condifent debut - from even longer range in the 73rd for another consolation.
Coach Joachim Loew was looking for an improved performance after a disappointing 1-1 draw against China in Shanghai on Friday, and could have no complaints at the way his side dismantled opponents ranked 120th in the world.
"It's not a game we can really analyse because the opponents were under the normal level which we know in Europe," Loew said.
"However the Asian trip has been worth it because it has given us some important insights. Today Manuel Neuer did well and Mario Gomez has scored again. They are two points I am pleased about."
With temperatures close to 30 degrees, Germany began brightly with two chances for Gomez and a Podolski shot against the post.
But the visitors did not have it all their own way, and until the floodgates opened the UAE exposed defensive uncertainties which a better side might have punished.
Schalke keeper Neuer prevented Germany going behind when he dived to save a header from Mahmoud Khamis and was twice more in action to thwart the home team.
Defender Christian Traesch of VfB Stuttgart and midfielder Tobias Weis of Hoffenheim came on during the second half to add to the new caps as Loew rang the changes.
Schweinsteiger hit the bar and a cross from Trochowski came back from the post, while Neuer again did well to tip a shot from Mohamed Saeed against the post, but the game was by then over as a contest.
Loew can now look ahead to a World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan in Baku - trained by former Germany coach Berti Vogts - on August 12.
Azerbaijan are the visitors in Hanover on September 9 before further World Cup qualifiers against Russia in Moscow on October 10 and Finland in Hamburg on October 14.
The next home match for Germany is a friendly against World Cup hosts South Africa in Leverkusen on September 5.
