Germany earn crucial late draw against Spain
Germany forward Niclas Füllkrug sal‐ vaged a 1‐1 draw against Spain on Sunday at the World Cup.
The Germans still need to win their last group match to have a chance of advanc‐ ing to the knockout stage. The four‐time champions were eliminated in the group stage four years ago in Russia.
Germany will next face Costa Rica, which defeated Japan 1‐0 earlier Sunday. Even a win may not be enough for the Germans, who are in last place in Group E and need the other result to go their way.
Germany has one point, two behind Japan and Costa Rica. Spain has four points and holds a big goal difference thanks to its opening 7‐0 rout of Costa Rica.
The match between the pre‐tournament favorites was one of the most anticipated in the group stage.
Spain tried to control the pace of the game with ball possession but wasn't able to create many significant opportunities until Álvaro Morata found the net in the 62nd minute with a nice one‐touch from close range after a well‐place low cross from Jordi Alba.
Germany struggled and only threatened sporadically in a few breakaways and set pieces, but Füllkrug finally found the equalizer in the 83rd with a shot from close range into the top of the net.
The goal kept Germany from enduring consecutive losses at the start of a World Cup for the first time.
WHAT'S NEXT
Spain's next match is against Japan at
Khalifa International Stadium, while Ger‐ many returns to Al Bayt Stadium to face Costa Rica.
Qatari fans hit back at Germany by recalling Özil in protest
Qatari soccer fans hit back at Germany's World Cup protest on Sunday by holding pictures of former Germany player Mesut Özil while covering their mouths during the match against Spain.
A group of fans held copies of a hand‐ drawn sketch of Özil, while others showed pictures of him in action for Germany.
The clearly coordinated display was ap‐ parently in response to Germany players' gesture on Wednesday, when they cov‐ ered their mouths to protest against FIFA following the governing body's clamp‐ down on the "One Love" armband. That gesture was a response to FIFA's effective nixing of seven European teams' plans to wear armbands that were seen as a re‐ buke to host nation Qatar and its human rights record.
Qatari fans appeared Sunday to refer‐ ence Germany's own questionable treat‐ ment of Özil, the former player who quit the national team after becoming a target of racist abuse and a scapegoat for Ger‐ many's early World Cup exit in 2018.
Özil, a German‐born descendant of Turk‐ ish immigrants, accused the country's soc‐ cer federation, fans and media of racism in their treatment of people with Turkish roots.
"I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," Özil said at the time.