Germany’s win over Costa Rica not enough to avoid elimination
AL KHOR, QATAR >> Germany was eliminated from the group stage of the World Cup for the second tournament in a row.
The four-time champions beat Costa Rica 4-2 Thursday but it wasn’t enough to reach the round of 16. Japan’s 2-1 victory over Spain in the other group game allowed both of those teams to advance instead, with the Japanese team finishing at the top of Group E.
“I was just in the changing room and as you can imagine, the disappointment is huge,” Germany coach Hansi Flick said.
Playing as defending champions at the last World Cup, Germany also was knocked out in the group stage.
Germany, which lost to Japan in its opening match in Qatar, needed help from the other match in order to advance with a victory at Al Bayt Stadium, but things didn’t go its way. If Spain had beaten Japan, the Germans would have finished second in the group.
It all started so well with Serge Gnabry putting Germany in front against Costa Rica with a 10thminute header and Spain taking an early lead against Japan at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.
Both matches were turned upside down in the second half.
Yeltsin Tejeda evened the score in the 58th minute and Juan Vargas scrambled another in the 70th, putting Costa Rica ahead 2-1 and on target to advance at Spain’s expense.
But Germany substitute Kai Havertz made it 2-2 three minutes later and then restored Germany’s lead in the 85th. Another substitute, Niclas Füllkrug, added the fourth.
JAPAN 2, SPAIN 1
DOHA, QATAR >> Same stadium. Same result. Similar shocking victory for Japan at the World Cup.
After beating Germany 2-1 in its opener, Japan found its way into the round of 16 of the World Cup by defeating Spain by the same score
in its last group game Thursday.
Spain also advanced despite the loss.
Japan scored twice early in the second half to come from behind and defeat another European powerhouse and make it to the knockout stage for the second straight time. It was the first time Japan has advanced past the group stage in back-to-back tournaments.
Ao Tanaka scored the winning goal from close range early in the second half. It took about two minutes for video review officials to confirm the ball hadn’t gone out of bounds before the goal that gave Japan the win at Khalifa International Stadium, which is where Japan had shocked Germany in its opener.
Japan finished at the top of Group E to set up a last-16 matchup against Croatia. Spain finished second and will take on Morocco.
Group F
BELGIUM 0, CROATIA 0
AL RAYYAN, QATAR >> The win and a place in the round of 16 at the World Cup was there for Belgium. All the team needed was for Romelu Lukaku to score as the ball reached him in front of goal in the final seconds.
Somehow, he missed. Belgium and its aging generation of players were eliminated Thursday after a draw with Croatia,
which advanced as the secondplace team in Group F behind Morocco.
While Croatia — the 2018 runner-up and a 1998 semifinalist — aims for another deep run at the World Cup, Belgium is facing the breakup of its talented but underachieving squad after failing to live up to its status as the secondranked team and one of the tournament favorites.
Lukaku, who came on as a halftime substitute and squandered several great chances, punched the side of the dugout as he walked off, knocking the plexiglass screen out of place.
Not only did he fail to guide in that late chance from close range, he hit a shot against the post with the goal beckoning. Another chance, from a header in front of goal, sailed over the bar, but it’s not clear if the goal would have counted.
What has long been called Belgium’s “Golden Generation” — now featuring six players with more than 100 appearances — is set to split with the World Cup semifinal appearance in 2018 as its peak. MOROCCO 2, CANADA 1
DOHA, QATAR >> Morocco advanced to the last 16 for just the second time after clinging on for a win over Canada on Thursday.
The Moroccans’ only other trip past the group stage came in 1986.
Hakim Ziyech scored for Morocco in the fourth minute after a bad error by Canada goalkeeper Milan Borjan left the winger to shoot the ball into an empty goal. Youssef En-Nesyri added a second in the 23rd.
It looked then like Morocco would overrun the Canadians.
But Nayef Aguerd’s own-goal just before halftime made it 2-1 and lifted Canada enough for them to put pressure on Morocco in search of an equalizing goal for most of the second half.
Canada came agonizingly close when a header from captain Atiba Hutchinson, who came on as a second-half substitute, bounced off the crossbar and onto the goal-line.