World reacts to Germany exit

MOSCOW. — World champions Germany were sent crashing out of the World Cup after suffering a stunning 2-0 defeat to South Korea yesterday.

The shock result sees them eliminated in the first round of the tournament for the first time in 80 years.

Germany would have progressed with a win at the Kazan Arena but barely looked capable of scoring against the Koreans, let alone going on to successfully defend the title they won in Brazil four years ago.

Germany’s demise was enjoyed by partisan England fans on Twitter, including former Olympic champion, Matthew Pinsent.

“My English brain, veteran of several men’s and women’s tournaments dominated by Germany, can’t compute seeing bottom of the table and fans crying,” said ITV World Cup anchor, Jacqui Oatley.

“Not gloating, it just doesn’t look right,” she added.

Anti-European Union politician Nigel Farage took Germany’s failure as an opportunity to mock the country’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel.

He tweeted: “Germany exits the World Cup = #Germexit.’’

Germany’s shock exit came four years after they thrashed 2014 hosts Brazil on the way to a fourth World Cup triumph.

And Brazilian broadcasters Fox Sports Brasil enjoyed the schadenfreude of seeing their tormentors from four years ago crash out in such ignominious fashion.

The German reaction was just as scathing.

Former captain Michael Ballack called for an ‘honest assessment’ of how Germany failed so dismally.

‘’You can always go out early with a bad team, but not with a team like this one!! @DFB_Team Honest assessment must start !!!’’ Lothar Matthaus, who captained Germany to World Cup glory in 1990, suggested the standard of the Bundesliga is to blame for the country’s surprise demise. Speaking after the game, Joachim Low said he will consider his future as head coach.

“This is hard to say at this point, it’ll take a couple of hours,” Loew said when asked if he would be staying on.

“I’m shocked that we didn’t manage to pull it off. I really had the feeling that the team, they really wanted to go forward. I’m incredibly disappointed by this elimination but I will think about it calmly.

“The disappointment of being eliminated is just huge.’’

Germany’s Toni Kroos, the free kick hero in the 2-1 win over Sweden, tried desperately to spark his side into action in the second half but was denied by South Korea’s heroic Cho Hyun-woo in the 88th minute, one of a number of fine saves by the keeper. — Daily Telegraph.