The German U17 national team won a dramatic and high-class semi-final against Argentina 4-2 on penalties and reached the final of the World Cup in Indonesia.
The match winners for the German team were offensive player Paris Brunner and goalkeeper Konstantin Heide in Surakarta in warm and humid temperatures. On his World Cup debut, the SpVgg Unterhaching goalkeeper saved two Argentinian penalties – double goalscorer Paris Brunner then converted the decisive try for Germany.
“We are very proud and happy that we made it to the final. The boys have it in them to take the last step. Now we also want the gold medal,” said DFB coach Christian Wück and added: ” I think the fans in Germany have been longing for a team like this for a long time.”
Next Saturday (1 p.m.) the German youngsters will meet the winner of the game France against Mali in the final of the World Cup, also in Surakarta.
The German youngsters can make history. A DFB team of this age group has never won a World Cup. The last time they reached the final, back then as a U16, was 38 years ago, when Germany lost 2-0 to Nigeria in the 1985 final. The U20 team won their only youth title to date in 1981 with players like Rüdiger Vollborn, Michael Zorc, Ralf Loose and Roland Wohlfarth.
Wild exchange of blows with six goals
After 90 minutes the score in the thrilling duel was 3:3 (1:2). An extra time will not be played in this age group. Dortmund’s Brunner scored two goals (10th/58th minute), and after Hoffenheim’s Max Moerstedt’s supposed goal (69th) to make it 3-2, Germany looked like the winner for a long time. But triple goalscorer Agustin Ruberto (36th/45th+4th/90th+7) saved Argentina into a penalty shootout.
Argentina stronger in the first half
The German team was particularly challenged in defense, as the Argentinians set an extremely high pace from the start and repeatedly came dangerously in front of the German goal. Germany were initially lucky after Claudio Echeverri was unable to take advantage of a goal from Germany’s defense chief Finn Jeltsch.
However, the German switching game worked well, so well that it was enough to give Germany the lead. In the ninth minute, Noah Darvich played a ball perfectly to Paris Brunner, who let an Argentinian out and then surprised the bewildered Argentinian keeper, Jeremías Florentín, with a shot into the near corner.
Ruberto took the lead shortly before the break
But the Argentines remained aggressive and combined skillfully. Germany was under a lot of pressure. Goalkeeper Konstantin Heide, who came into the starting line-up for the injured man, thwarted a great chance with a very strong save (22nd minute).
In the 36th minute Heide was defeated. Brunner lost a duel on the goal line. Dylan Gorosito passed back into the middle, where Agustín Ruberto had no trouble shooting in from ten meters.
The Argentines celebrated again in stoppage time in the first half. And again the goalscorer was Agustín Ruberto, who sent Finn Jeltsch into space with a feint and hit the corner with his seventh goal of the tournament. The break lead for the Argentinians was deserved.
Brunner and Moerstedt turn the game
Germany had to react, and the German team reacted. She made the spaces narrower in the second half and thus slowed down the Albiceleste’s offensive game more effectively. The reward: the equalizer in the 58th minute. And again Paris Brunner was there. The offensive player intercepted a weakly hit goal kick from keeper Florentín, kept his overview and then flicked the ball nicely into the far corner – his fourth goal of the tournament.
Now a high-class game developed with two teams who gave everything they had to fight – and that in temperatures of around 30 degrees in Surakarta, Indonesia.
Things got even better for Christian Wück’s team, who improved more and more despite the previous tournament’s exertions and also bought the Argentinians’ edge in terms of fitness. Inevitably the lead for the DFB team: Juan Villalba cleared a cross ball from Noah Darvich too casually. Max Moerstedt thanked us with a header to make it 3-2 (69′).
Ruberto shocks the German team in stoppage time
Germany remained stable in the final phase and actually had the game well under control. But it wasn’t quite enough. In the penultimate minute of stoppage time, the Wück team conceded the equalizer. Agustín Ruberto scored again with his third goal of the day (90th + 7th).
The late disillusionment was followed by huge cheers. After winning the European Championship last June, the young German team can now also claim the World Cup crown.