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Germany suffered a second consecutive World Cup group-stage exit despite a thrilling 4-2 win over Costa Rica on a night of sensational Group E drama in Qatar.
After collecting just one point from their opening two games, four-time world champions Germany – who also exited at the group stage in 2018 – knew only a victory at Al Bayt Stadium on Thursday night would give them any chance of progressing to the last 16.
But despite securing the result they needed, Japan scored a controversial winner to beat Spain and send Hansi Flick’s side out of the tournament due to the Spaniards’ superior goal difference.
Serge Gnabry’s early header (10) appeared to have set Germany on the way to a comfortable three points, but second-half goals from Yeltsin Tejeda (58) and Juan Pablo Vargas (70) remarkably put Costa Rica in pole position to qualify for the last 16 and raised the incredible possibility of both Germany and Spain going out.
But the drama did not end there. Germany substitute and Chelsea forward Kai Havertz turned the game around again with a well-taken double (73 & 85) before fellow substitute Niclas Fullkrug made it 4-2 in the 89th minute. The victory was not enough though as the 2014 tournament winners finished third in Group E, with Spain and Japan above them.
What does the result mean?
Japan finish top of Group E with six points, meaning they will face Group F runners-up Croatia in the last 16 on Monday, with kick-off at 3pm.
Spain finish second on four points, ahead of Germany on goal difference, and will face Group F winners Morocco in the last 16 on Tuesday, kicking off at 3pm.
Costa Rica finish bottom of Group E on three points and, like Germany, exit the competition.
How Germany’s fightback ended in disappointment
Germany’s night started in encouraging fashion when Gnabry made the back of the net ripple after just 10 minutes. David Raum was the creator on Germany’s left-hand side, and his cross was expertly steered into the far corner by the Bayern Munich forward.
Germany were dominant and Leon Goretzka almost scored at the back post only for his header to be turned away by Keylor Navas, before the impressive Jamal Musiala masterfully tip-toed his way into the Costa Rica area but pushed his effort wide.
Serge Gnabry gave Germany a 10th-minute lead
Despite being in complete control, Germany had Manuel Neuer – making his 19th outing at the World Cup to become the goalkeeper with the most appearances in the history of the competition – to thank for keeping them ahead at the interval.
Raum and Antonio Rudiger failed to deal with a long ball, allowing Keysher Fuller through, but his powerful effort on goal was brilliantly palmed over by the veteran German stopper.
Referee Stephanie Frappart and assistants Neuza Back (L) and Karen Diaz Medina warm up before the game
At half-time – and with Spain 1-0 up following Alvaro Morata’s strike – Germany were on course for a last-16 tie against Morocco. But that dramatically changed within minutes of the restart when Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka fired Japan into the lead. And it would get worse for the Germans when Yeltsin Tejeda scored his first international goal after 57 minutes to draw Costa Rica level.
In a frenetic response, Germany hit Navas’ left-hand post on three occasions – twice by Musiala and also by Rudiger – before Costa Rica did the unthinkable and scored a second. Juan Pablo Vargas bundled the ball home from a free-kick to send Costa Rica wild and on the verge of following Japan into the knockout stages, with Spain joining Germany in departing the competition.
Yeltsin Tejeda pounced on a rebound to equalise for Costa Rica
But a topsy-turvy night took another twist when substitute Havertz hauled Germany level after he converted Niclas Fullkrug’s cross three minutes later. And then, with five minutes remaining, Havertz had his second, turning home Gnabry’s pass to restore Germany’s lead.
Fullkrug then survived a VAR check to net his side’s fourth before 10 minutes of stoppage time ensued, with Germany hoping Spain could rescue a late equaliser against Japan – a result that would see them progress.
But Japan held on to seal a famous win against Spain and send Germany out of the World Cup – four years after they fell at the first hurdle as defending champions in Russia – on a dark night for one of the world’s great football superpowers.
Germany substitute Kai Havertz turned the game around with a quickfire double
Flick ‘angry’ at Germany’s first-half display
Germany head coach Hansi Flick said: “In the first half I was disappointed and very angry at my team and how we allowed the opponent to come back. We wanted to score three or four goals in the first half but then we made mistakes.
“But the tournament was not decided today for us. We did not have any efficiency at this tournament and that is why we were eliminated.
“If you know me and my team, I know we can get up quickly and recover from that.
“We will work on a future that is very important and very decisive, and we will see how we can implement our idea. In light of the European Championship, it is difficult to talk about that right now after elimination.
“Now we need to assess our work during the World Cup, and head into a different direction. This is the next step we are going to undertake and we will do that very soon.”
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Germany head coach Hansi Flick says his side must recover quickly from their World Cup disappointment
Suarez: Costa Rica can hold heads high
Costa Rica head coach Luis Fernando Suarez said: “In this World Cup, we showed what Costa Rica are. I am very calm that we can leave with our heads high. I am so proud of this squad, they are so special. I am so proud of them, more than ever before.
“I leave with a feeling of sadness, not because we lost but that we are leaving. It’s tough to experience this as a coach, even more so in the World Cup.
“The most important thing is there is so much room for improvement. In the next four years there are things we need to change, but we need to build on everything we have done in the past few years.”
Japan’s controversial winner in pictures
The goal that ended up sending Germany home…
The ball appeared to be over the line before Japan’s Kaoru Mitoma cut it back to Ao Tanaka for the second goal
Mitoma was meeting a Ritsu Doan cross at the byline
VAR ruled in favour of Japan, saying the curvature of the ball had not crossed the line
Germany’s tournament woes continue – Opta stats
- Germany have been eliminated from the group stage at consecutive World Cups (also 2018) after they had progressed from the first round group stage in each of their 16 previous such appearances at the tournament.
- Germany have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 12 matches at major tournaments (World Cups + Euros), further extending their longest such streak.
- Costa Rica have scored more World Cup goals against Germany (4) than they have versus any other side, surpassing the three they’d scored against Uruguay in 2014. At the other end, against no side have they shipped more goals at the World Cup than they have versus Germany (8 – level with Brazil).
- Kai Havertz became only the second Germany player to score a brace as a substitute in a single World Cup match after André Schürrle versus Brazil in 2014.
- Germany’s Manuel Neuer made his 19th appearance at the World Cup tonight, becoming the goalkeeper with the outright most appearances in the history of the competition.
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