Loew’s flops distraught by ‘dark day’
Germany in shock after curse of defending champion strikes again
KAZAN, Russia — Everyone was waiting for Germany to score another late World Cupsaving goal.
It never came. Instead, the Germans have become the fourth defending champion in the past five tournaments to be eliminated in the group stage following a 2-0 loss to South Korea on Wednesday.
The four-time champion conceded 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.
“It’s very, very hard to put it into words,” said Germany defender Mats Hummels, a member of the team that won in Brazil four years ago.
“We believed until the end today. Even when it was 0-1, I think we kept trying to turn it all around.”
Germany ended up last in Group F while Sweden and Mexico advanced to the last 16. South Korea was also eliminated, despite the victory.
It was the first time Germany has been knocked out in the first round since 1938, though the team was not allowed to enter the 1950 tournament.
“It’s a dark day for German football,” goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.
Even in Ekaterinburg, nearly 500 miles away, the Mexican fans expected Germany to score. Mexico was still in position to advance despite trailing Sweden, but its fans were waiting — some with tears in their eyes — for Germany to do the inevitable and ruin their chances of moving on.
That’s when South Korea stepped up.
Kim Young-gwon scored the first goal in the third minute of injury time, a goal that sent the Koreans cheering in Kazan and the Mexicans delirious in Yekaterinburg.
Originally called out for offside, the goal was allowed after video review.
Tottenham striker Son Heung-min made it 2-0 in the sixth minute of stoppage time after Neuer was caught stranded at the other end of the field in a desperate bid to help his attack. Son tapped into an empty net after a long pass from Ju Se-jong.
France in 2002, Italy in 2010 and Spain in 2014 were the previous defending champions
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to crash out in the group stage. “We deserved to be eliminated,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said.
“For us, this is a huge disappointment. But we have young players who are talented and have the potential to go forward. It happened to other nations before. We need to draw the right conclusions.”
All four teams in the group had a chance to advance in games that were being played simultaneously, but Sweden’s 3-0 lead over Mexico put Germany in prime position to move on as well — if the Germans could score against the South Koreans.
That was the problem for Germany.
Loew changed his lineup to mix youth with experience, calling back Hummels, Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil while also fielding Niklas Suele and new Bayern Munich signing Leon Goretzka. Suele made his first World Cup appearance as a replacement for the suspended Jerome Boateng.
Germany made a nervous start, looking ponderous on the ball and bereft of attacking ideas beyond harmless crosses into the box which the dogged Koreans easily dealt with.
South Korea came close to scoring in the 19th minute after Neuer fumbled a 25-yard freekick from Jung Wooyoung, with the Bayern stopper needing to swipe the rebound away from onrushing attackers after a spectacular dive.
The Germans continued at the same pedestrian pace after halftime, with Arsenal forward Ozil particularly guilty of a lackadaisical approach and misplaced passes.
Loew brought on substitutes Mario Gomez and Thomas Mueller on either side of the 60-minute mark but his players continued to keep surrendering possession, with passes frequently lacking precision and pace.
Veteran Stuttgart striker Gomez had a header stopped by goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo in the 68th minute, while Bayern defender Hummels missed three gilt-edged chances with his head in the dying stages.
“We did not deserve to be winning the title once again,” Loew said.
It’s too soon for me to answer, it will take a few hours to see things clearly, the disappointment is very deep in me.” Germany coach Joachim Loew