South Korea pulled off a monumental upset on Wednesday by eliminating defending champions Germany 2-0 in the FIFA World Cup at the Kazan Arena.
Kim Younggwon and Son Heung-min all scored for the South Koreans in stoppage time to eradicate the Germans who were among the odds-on favorite to win the title. It was also the first time for Germany to be eliminated in the group stages of World Cup tournament. The loss also marked the second defeat of the Germans in the tournament who lost earlier to Mexico 1-0.
Prior to the loss, Germany has been one of the most consistent nations in the World Cup. The four-time World Cup winner was a finalist in 2002 while finishing in third place during the 2006 and 2010 editions. The Germans won the 2014 World Cup highlighted by a 7-1 semifinals victory over host nation Brazil, four years ago.
Back-And-Forth Game
Both teams played world-class football all game long as Germany and South Korea displayed all the skills they could muster to take the lead. After a scoreless opening half, the Germans pushed the ball forward in the second, which eventually led to a goal opportunity by Leon Goretzka. The German booter had a chance on goal when he fired a solid header in the 46-minute but goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-Woo managed was there to prevent him from scoring.
If one time wasn't enough, Germany had another chance to break the stalemate when Timo Werner uncorked a brilliant volley from the penalty box but his shot didn't find the target. Aside from Werner, Mario Gomez also had an opportunity to put the Germans up late but his header was saved by the fingertips of Hyeon-Woo to keep things level.
The Germans created one last opportunity courtesy of Mats Hummels who fired a pass to Mesut Ozil for a cross. However, Ozil failed to catch the pass as the ball went past his shoulder.
Eager to advance into the next round, the South Koreans quickened the tempo as Younggwon caught the ball on the back post off a corner before torching the Germans with a goal in the 94-minute to give his country a 1-0 lead. Hummels tried to tie the game thereafter but his header failed to hit the target.
Moments later, Heung-min doubled the lead for the South Koreans after a 96-minute goal to seal the victory. With Germany's shocking loss, Sweden and Mexico will be moving on into the next round.
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