South Korea 1-1 Germany: Euro 2022 finalists are dumped OUT of the Women’s World Cup after failing to win 107-MINUTE final group game
- Germany were held to a draw in their final group game by South Korea
- It was the second consecutive game they failed to win after losing to Colombia
- Morocco beat Colombia, knocking Germany out of the Women’s World Cup
Germany have sensationally been knocked out of the Women’s World Cup after being held to a 1-1 draw by bottom-of-the-group South Korea.
The world No 2 ranked side, who made the final of the Euros last year, lost their second group game against Colombia, but were still in a strong position to qualify heading into Thursday’s match after beating Morocco 6-0 in their opening group fixture.
However, they fell behind early on when Cho So-hyun scored in the sixth minute.
Star striker Alexandra Popp equalised for Germany with a powerful header just before half time, but the European giants couldn’t find a winner after the break, despite the game running for an incredible 107 minutes.
With Morocco beating Colombia in the other Group H match, this left Germany third and out with just four points from their three matches. It makes it the first time they have ever been eliminated from the group stages at a World Cup.
Germany were eliminated from the World Cup on Thursday after failing to beat South Korea
Fans watching on back in Berlin were struggling to hold back their tears following their exit
Players, management and fans alike were left speechless in their first World Cup groups exit
Popp said: ‘I still don’t know what to say and what’s going on here. That wasn’t what we wanted.’
Team-mate Jule Brand added: ‘I’m at a loss for words, we’re very disappointed. It wasn’t enough.
‘We were motivated and wanted to play the game, but we couldn’t get it on the pitch.’
The national team’s official Twitter account simply wrote: ‘We’re out’, followed by three broken heart emojis.
Former England international Fara Williams described Morocco progressing at Germany’s expense as the ‘biggest shock in the women’s game’.
‘Wow. I’m in shock, I really am. That is the biggest shock in the women’s game,’ Williams told the BBC.
‘For Germany, European Championship finalist only a year ago to be knocked out in the group stage, having gone into the group stage as favourites. For me it’s the biggest shock.
‘It was the most disappointing performance from the Germans in the last two games so it was deserved.’
Germany pushed and pushed deep into stoppage time in a bid to find the one goal they needed, only to be met by a resolute South Korea defence.
As the final whistle blew some of Germany’s players stood motionless while others collapsed to the ground in disappointment as tears flowed.
The Germans, champions in 2003 and 2007 and ranked second in the world, had needed a win to be sure of progressing.
In a contrast of emotions, Morocco’s players celebrated when they learned of Germany’s result
It leaves major question marks around the German team moving forward after this humiliation
Casey Phair, who became the Women’s World Cup’s youngest ever player earlier in the tournament, almost gave the Koreans the lead when the 16-year-old saw her second minute effort pushed onto the post by goalkeeper Merle Frohms.
Colin Bell’s side only had to wait four more minutes to strike, however, when Lee Young-ju’s pass from deep split the German defence and the unmarked Cho calmly slotted her first-time shot into the bottom corner.
Germany were frustrated by the hard-pressing Koreans, but in the 42nd minute the former champions levelled as Popp out-jumped the defence to meet Svenja Huth’s right wing cross and loop her header beyond Kim Jung-mi.
Voss-Tecklenburg’s side threw everything forward after the interval, with Popp’s 57th minute header ruled out on review by VAR as the striker strayed offside following a clever flick by Lea Schuller.
The German forward then rattled the crossbar two minutes later with another headed effort and Popp was again denied 16 minutes from time when her bullet-header flew straight into the hands of Kim.
Substitute Sydney Lohmann thumped a pair of efforts just off target deep into almost 16 minutes of added time, but Bell’s side hung on for a point that sent the Germans out.
Germany’s media were in disbelief at the exit, labelling the side as ‘disgraceful’.
Bild called it an ‘historic World Cup debacle’ while Die Welt, a national daily newspaper, labelled it a ‘disgrace’ and the ‘greatest embarrassment’ in the history of the women’s team.
Cho Sohyun fired South Korea into a shock lead, piling the pressure on heavily-favoured rival
Alezandra Popp restored parity but they needed another and it didn’t arrive in 107 minutes
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