Germany didn’t deserve to make last 16 – coach
REIGNING champions Germany crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage yesterday after a stunning 2-0 defeat by South Korea.
Germany, one of the favourites to triumph in Russia, finished bottom in Group F after Sweden beat Mexico 3-0 in the other match to qualify for the last 16 along with their opponents.
Germany coach Joachim Low, who has a contract until 2022, did not rule out resigning after the four-time champions became the fourth holders in the last five World Cups to go out in the group stage.
“It is too early for me to answer that question,” he told ZDF.
“We need a couple of hours to see things clearly. The disappointment is deep inside me. I couldn’t imagine that we would lose to South Korea.”
Low’s side found it tough to break down South Korea’s stubborn defence despite dominating possession at the Kazan Arena and were shocked by late goals from Kim Gwon Young and Son Heung Min, which were not enough to help their side through.
Kim stabbed home from close range in stoppage time but was initially flagged offside. The goal was given after an agonising delay when the referee analysed it via the video assistant referee system and saw the last touch had come off a Germany player.
Then with Germany fragmented and desperate, Ju Se Jong robbed goalkeeper Manuel Neuer of the ball inside Korea’s half and released Son, who ran through and rolled home.
This is the first time four-time champions Germany have failed to make it through the opening round of the tournament since 1938, featuring in every edition between 1954 and 2018.
“There is disappointment, the disappointment is huge,” Low told reporters. “In this tournament we didn’t deserve to retain the title. We didn’t deserve to move into the round of 16.”
Defender Mats Hummels had two late chances but could not find the net as Germany tumbled out.
“It is very difficult to find words. We believed until the end,” said Hummels.
“But the last game where we were convincing was in autumn 2017, that is quite a while ago.”
Shin Tae Yong’s team almost opened the scoring after 19 slow minutes, when Neuer fumbled Jong Woo Young’s free-kick, but the Germany captain recovered well to scramble the ball behind for a corner as Son looked to pounce.
Germany dominated the ball but created no clear chances until the 48th minute, when Jo Hyeon Woo produced a spectacular one-handed save to palm away Leon Goretzka’s header.
“We did not know (the Sweden score), it was only after the game was over that we knew,” said South Korea goalkeeper Jo, the man-of-the-match.
“All the Korean players and the head coach here, we were playing for the Korean people. It was only after the match was over that we knew the score, that was why a lot of us cried.”
PWDLFADP Sweden ..3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 6 Mexico .... 3 2 0 1 3 4 -1 6 Korea R ..3 1 0 2 3 3 03 Germany 3 1 0 2 2 4 -2 3
l Sweden coach Janne Andersson said he was moved by the effort and loyalty of his players as they bounced back from the disappointment of a cruel defeat by Germany to beat Mexico 3-0 and win World Cup Group F.
Few would have predicted that Sweden could have topped the standings when Toni Kroos fired home his stoppage-time goal in Sochi, and Andersson was left raging after German officials appeared to taunt the Swedes after the defeat.
A further shadow was cast over Sweden’s preparations when winger Jimmy Durmaz, who conceded the free-kick that led to Kroos’s late winner, was subjected to a torrent of racial abuse and threats on social media.
“We have handled the things that have happened - I’m so incredibly proud, moved almost, by the thought of how we performed in the match. They were so disciplined, so loyal in everything they did,” Andersson told reporters.
Ludwig Augustinsson put the Swedes ahead five minutes into the second half before Marcus Berg won a penalty and Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist, who scored the winner from the spot against South Korea, stepped up to take it. Granqvist duly hammered it home and an own goal made it 3-0.
Andersson was not gloating over Germany’s exit. “Not in a million years. I don’t work that way,” he stated. “You play a game, you shake hands afterwards and you wish everyone well for the next game.” – dpa IT WAS the legendary Pele who once, many years ago, predicted that by the year 2000 the World Cup would have a winner from the African continent.
It’s now 2018 – and we are still waiting on the Brazilian superstar’s prophecy to come true. At the tournament in Russia so far, we are still in the group stages, and already we’ve bid farewell to Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Nigeria.
Senegal will be in action today when they face Colombia. There have been hard luck tales, the African countries have scrapped valiantly and provided really tough opposition; they’ve given as good as they’ve got and made their weighty presence felt at the World Cup.
On Tuesday night, after the painful defeat to Argentina, Nigeria were sent packing despite an admirable, courageous performance. They were a little under the cosh in the first half, but they came out determined in the second period.
The West Africans unsettled the South Americans and should, really, have gone on to take the game. They got stronger as the match progressed, with Ahmed Musa’s pace always a threat, while Odion Ighalo had opportunities to seal it for his team.
Let’s not even talk about the VAR decision – the nature of technology is the same as any other referee decision: sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it doesn’t.
The point that needs to be made – and this is the key issue – for how long are African countries going to “be competitive” and “come home proud”?
For all the prodigious, and often outrageous, talent available on the continent, the quarter-final stage is the furthest an African team has gone in the history of the World Cup. When will they take up the challenge and forge their way further?
For Nigeria, in that second half, Argentina were there for the taking; the game was there to be won. They had the chances, but they failed to pull the trigger.
And that is the issue: not VAR or the officials or all the extraneous nonsense. In essence, Nigeria needed to be a lot more clinical in finishing off the opposition; and so, if Pele’s prediction is to be fulfilled, it is vital that African teams become the masters of their own destiny.
*** As for Argentina, they may have seen off Nigeria, but the victory served only to paper over the cracks.
It was abundantly evident to the eye that there are still major concerns with this Argentine squad, with a definite layer of fragility at its root.
They looked good in the first half against Nigeria, especially because of the long-overdue inclusion of Sevilla’s Éver Banega.
Finally, they had a creative presence in midfield and it was his sumptuous pass that picked out Lionel Messi for the opening goal. And, boy, the thigh control from the little maestro was exquisite – in one split second, it demonstrated his genius – and the finish was sublime.
But once Nigeria got into gear, and started to put pressure on the Argentines, the team’s failings were again laid bare: the nervousness, the uncertainty, and the insanity of a player constantly looking for Messi rather than taking responsibility himself.
In the end, Argentina got the job done, but it was far from convincing. Next up are France in the round of 16 – and, one thing’s for sure, Argentina will have to be better.
Much better.