South Korean KO - Dark day for defending champions
Published:Wednesday | June 27, 2018 | 12:00 AM
KAZAN, Russia (AP):
Everyone was waiting for Germany to score another late World Cup-saving goal. It never came.Instead, the Germans have become the fourth defending champions in the last five tournaments to be eliminated in the group stage following a 2-0 loss to South Korea yesterday.
The four-time champions allowed a pair of injury-time goals while knowing a 1-0 victory would have been enough to advance because of the result in the other group match.
Germany ended up last in Group F while Sweden and Mexico advanced to the round of 16. South Korea were also eliminated despite the victory.
It was the first time Germany have been knocked out in the first round since 1938, though the team was not allowed to enter the 1950 tournament.
"It's a dark day for German football," Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer said.
Even in Yekaterinburg, nearly 500 miles away, the Mexican fans expected Germany to score. They were still in position to advance despite trailing Sweden, but they were waiting some with tears in their eyes for Germany to do the inevitable and ruin their chances of moving on. That's when South Korea stepped up.
Stoppage time onslaught
Kim Young-gwon scored the first goal in the third minute of injury time, a goal that sent the Koreans cheering in Kazan and the Mexicans delirious in Yekaterinburg. Originally called out for offside, the goal was given after video review.
Son Heung-min made it 2-0 in the sixth minute of stoppage time after Neuer came up the field to help his teammates outside the South Korea box. Son tapped the ball into an empty net after a long pass from Ju Se-jong.
Fourteen teams have secured spots in the knockout stage at the World Cup, leaving just two more up for grabs today.
It was smooth-sailing for five-time champions Brazil and Neymar. They blanked Serbia 2-0 in Moscow to win Group F. Switzerland and Costa Rica duelled to a 2-2 tie in Nizhny Novgorod that ensured the Swiss would advance and the Ticos wouldn't go home as the only team not to score.