Germans in despair over exit
The doubt on Leckie is that his work ethic runs him into the ground before another World Cup comes around — the right-winger has been about Australia’s best player for two tournaments in a row. Arzani’s place in the Socceroos set-up looks assured for years to come, while the striker position is wide open. Why not Blackwood, who is developing well as a conventional No.9 and has impressed as a youth international. Paul Izzo (23), Mitchell Langerak (33), Aziz Behich (31), Josh Risdon (29), Aleksandr Susnjar (26), Aaron Mooy (31), Massimo Luongo (29), Ramy Najjarine (22), Brandon Borrello (26), Sebastian Pasquali (22), Tomi Juric (30), Deni Juric (24). FROM chants of “goodbye” to stunned silence, Germany fans reacted with dismay to their defending champions’ humiliating World Cup exit on Wednesday after a first-round loss commentators called a “historic disgrace”.
“Our World Cup nightmare has come true,” screamed the Bild daily.
Even before the final whistle blew in Russia’s Kazan Arena, supporters in Berlin had begun leaving the city’s so-called fan mile, disappointed by Germany’s lacklustre performance against South Korea.
Those who remained applauded sarcastically when South Korea’s Son Heung-min scored a late second goal into an empty net.
Calls of “Raus (Out)” and “auf Wiedersehen (goodbye)” rang out from fans as the weight of the 2-0 loss sunk in.
“These aren’t world champions, they didn’t fight at all,” fumed 27-year-old Oliver Fischer, wearing a Germany jersey.
“We absolutely deserve to be out. We had no fight, no courage, no ideas!”
Others erupted into tears and buried their heads in their hands as a sense of disbelief spread through the crowd at Germany’s largest public viewing area.
“Speechless,” read a oneword tweet on the German team’s official Twitter account, summing up the national mood.
The defeat was the first time four-time champions Germany have been knocked out of the World Cup group stages since 1938.
“It’s a historic disgrace,” Der Spiegel weekly said, decrying Germany’s “weak game” against a plucky South Korea.
Germany had needed a clear win to move into the last 16, but a series of wasted chances saw the team finish last in Group F.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking at a Berlin event about artificial intelligence, expressed sadness in a “discussion” with a robot named Sophia, who noted how successful the German team had been in the past.
Merkel responded: “Yes, that’s true seen over a long time frame. But tonight we’re all very sad.”
Former goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, who was a losing World Cup finalist in 2002, said: “The national jersey must feel like it weighs a million tonnes to the players right now.”