Germany, the once mighty football nation, has faced an inglorious retreat from the World Cup for the second time in a row. The evening was crazy and when the score was drawn up, the Germans were out despite a 4-2 win over Costa Rica. Read more here about Japan – Spain.
Because Spain was surprised by Japan, the victory was of no use to Germany and the team awaits another early home flight. The scenario that played out on Thursday evening was unimaginable. Football on a rollercoaster of emotions.
For more than 43 minutes, nothing was wrong for the four-time world champion. Thanks to a quick goal from Serge Gnabry, the team took the lead against Costa Rica and Spain led against Japan. In short: this was what Die Mannschaft needed. But then the never-expected historical twists followed and that on two fields at the same time. Japan equalized first. The result: bank turmoil in Germany. Japan took the lead a few minutes later. The result: great panic among the Germans.
Total devastation
What’s called: panic and unease turned into total devastation when Yeltsin Tejeda put Costa Rica on equal footing, sending Germany suddenly tumbling to last place in the group in a matter of minutes. Was all the craziness over with that? No. Because the country, which went down 7-0 against Spain in the opening game, even came 2-1 twenty minutes before the end via Juan Pablo Vargas. And believe it or not, at that time the Costa Ricans were further ahead at the expense of the Spaniards.
Call it sensational, call it crazy, call it insane. And it all happened in the last 45 minutes of the last game in the group. Incidentally, the Costa Rican dream only lasted three minutes. Then there was the equalizer of substitute Kai Havertz: 2-2 and Germany was alive again.
The same Havertz also tapped in the 3-2, so that the team needed two more hits in the last five minutes. One of his own, and one of the Spaniards. That own goal did come, of course from substitute Füllkrug, the new Bomber who already scored his third goal in his fourth international match: 4-2.
But a little further on in Qatar, the Japanese held their ground, causing dismay to roll down the stands with the German fans before the game was over.
New trauma
Four years ago, the Germans were already talking about a trauma. Once, but never again. But what should you call this? The second inglorious retreat of the superpower in a row will inflict even greater wounds. It couldn’t, it wasn’t allowed, but it happened anyway on an evening that will go down in the history books as legendary.
“Wir sind raus”, is the German tabloid newspaper Bild clearly on the front page. “How painful, it’s an embarrassment!”
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