Germany’s Kai Havertz looked depressed after the game as Germany were knocked out of the World Cup. (REUTERS)
AL KHOR, Qatar – Germany four times champion Shockedly knocked out of the World Cup despite a 4-2 win over Costa Rica in the final Group E match on Thursday, a second consecutive elimination at the first hurdle.
Germany is third in the standings, behind Spain on goal difference, while Japan comes out on top after a 2-1 win over the Spaniards.
The result saw Japan meet Croatia in the round of 16 while Spain met Morocco.
In a non-stop dramatic night in the desert near Doha, the German scored his first goal with Serge Gnabry in the 10th minute but saw the Central American score two goals from Yeltsin Tejeda and an own own goal. Manuel Neuer before Kai Havertz’s brace gave them the lead.
Substitute Niclas Fuellkrug added a fourth in stoppage time but could not prevent them from being eliminated as Spain advanced on a remarkable goal difference.
For the first time in their illustrious World Cup history, Germany failed to win any of the first two games of the group stage and despite winning the last attempt, they will leave. Qatar with a crushing defeat.
“In the first half, I was frustrated and very angry with my team and the way we let the opponent come back,” said Germany coach Hansi Flick.
“We wanted to score three or four goals in the first half but then we made a mistake. If we had converted those opportunities, 16 of them. But today’s tournament is not decisive for us. We didn’t have any effectiveness in this tournament and that’s why we were eliminated.”
They are on the verge of being eliminated after losing their opening match against Japan and then winning a 1-1 draw against Spain.
Just winning to avoid repeating the shock of being eliminated in the first round of the 2018 World Cup, Germany, with seven Bayern Munich players in the squad, attacked from the start in search of an early goal to relieve tension.
ONE-WAY TRAFFIC
Jamal Musiala broke through from the left into the box and tested goalkeeper Keylor Navas with a low header after the second minute.
Initially, it was one-way traffic and Thomas Mueller should have done a much better job when he was kicked out by Joshua Kimmich but couldn’t head on target.
However, Gnabry scored with a dangerous header in the 10th minute to put the four-time champions ahead.
Costa Rica, who needed at least a point to have a chance to progress, rarely spilled over into Germany’s half, with only 25% possession in the first 45 minutes.
Germany were eager to make amends to their lousy league start as teenager Musiala kept closing in on the entire Costa Rica defence.
Opportunities kept coming but the Germans, as in the match against Japan, struggled to convert them.
They were almost punished as Keysher Fuller benefited from a double mistake in defense but his shot went over the bar by Neuer, whose 19th appearance in the tournament was a record. World Cup record for goalkeepers.
With the rankings displayed on the big screen of the Al Bayt stadium, Germany became nervous with Musiala twice hitting the post early in the second half.
However, Neuer could do nothing 13 minutes after the game restarted when Tejeda put the ball past him after he saved Kendall Watson’s header for the first time.
Juan Pablo Vargas then seemed to have put the ball over the line in the 70th minute to give Costa Rica the lead but the effort was later billed as Neuer’s own own goal.
Substitute Havertz scored twice in 12 minutes and Fuellkrug added another in stoppage time but it was ultimately too late as Spain took the lead on a remarkable goal difference.
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