Germany out as WCup champ curse strikes
Print Edition
Germany is out of the World Cup, the fourth defending champion in the last five tournaments to be eliminated in the group stage.
The four-time champion lost to South Korea 0-2 yesterday, allowing a pair of injury-time goals while knowing a 1-0 victory would have been enough to advance because of the result in the other group match.
Germany ended up last in Group F while Sweden and Mexico advanced to the round of 16.
South Korea was also eliminated despite the victory.
It was the first time Germany has been eliminated in the first round since 1938.
Kim Young-gwon scored the first goal in the third minute of injury time at the Kazan Arena in Kazan. Originally called out for offside, the goal was then given after an video assistant review.
Son Heung-min made it 2-0 in the sixth minute of injury time after Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer came up the field to help his teammates outside the South Korea box. Son tapped the ball into an empty net after a long pass from Ju Se-jong.
Besides Germany this year, France in 2002, Italy in 2010 and Spain in 2014 were the previous defending champions to get eliminated in the group stage.
Germany has also finished runner-up at the World Cup four times and entered this year’s tournament heavily backed to retain its title.
Instead it will head home after a stunning failure, having been unable to break down the South Koreans and after a shock 0-1 loss to Mexico in its opening group match.
Sweden won the group after thrashing the Mexicans 3-0.
Germany’s Toni Kroos, the free kick hero in the 2-1 win over Sweden, tried desperately to spark his side into action in the second half but was denied by South Korea’s heroic Cho Hyun-woo in the 88th minute, one of a number of fine saves by the goalkeeper.
But it was Kim who broke the deadlock at the other end in added time when he found himself alone in front of goal after a corner and he poked the ball home from close range.
Moments later Son sprinted to retrieve a long ball, with Germany ‘keeper Neuer having left his goal to try to help his side get a goal, and the Korean striker fired a low shot into the net to wrap up the win and leave the Germans distraught.
In Yekaterinburg, Sweden thumped Mexico, overpowering its opponent after a scoreless first half.
After pressing hard for most of the first half and wasting numerous chances, Sweden finally found the net when left-back Ludwig Augustinsson charged up the field in the 50th and angled home a left-footed volley.
Twelve minutes later, captain Andreas Granqvist kept his concentration in the face of deafening boos and whistles from the Mexican at the Ekaterinburg Arena fans to blast a penalty into the top left corner after Hector Moreno had brought down Marcus Berg.
Mexico’s misery was complete when the ball trickled in off the leg of Edson Alvarez for a tame own goal on 74 minutes.
The Mexicans were a shadow of the team that had beaten Germany and South Korea and had pundits speaking of them as potential world champions.
Needing only a draw to be sure of advancing, they somehow managed to reach the break on level terms after surviving a Swedish aerial bombardment and a VAR review.
The game was packed with incident from the opening whistle, with Mexico midfielder Jesus Gallardo booked within seconds of the start for misjudging an aerial challenge on Ola Toivonen.
The Swedes were guilty of wasteful finishing in the opening 45 minutes, with Emil Forsberg in particular blazing several shots over the bar.
Mexico had an anxious moment when Javier Hernandez appeared to use his arm to control the ball in his penalty area, but after a VAR review the referee awarded a corner.
But the Mexicans also threatened several times to score. Carlos Vela shot just wide after a pass from Hirving Lozano, saw another effort go over the bar and hit a third into the arms of Robin Olsen.
But without an improvement on this performance Mexico risks falling once again at the stage where it has been knocked out in the last six World Cups.
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