Korea knocks Germany out of Women's World Cup
Score: Popp 42 - For 6
Germany's scenario before the end of Group H of the Women's World Cup 2023 is exactly the same as their men's team in the 2018 World Cup, which is to beat the bottom team of Korea to secure a place in the next round. However, like their male colleagues 5 years ago, the German girls today could not do that, so they were immediately eliminated in the group stage.
On the Suncorp field, Brisbane, South Korea opened the scoring thanks to midfielder Cho So-hyun in the sixth minute, after the teammate's clearing phase. This was Korea's first, and only, goal at the 2023 Women's World Cup, and it put Germany in a dangerous situation. Although Alexandra Popp equalized in the second half, Germany still needed to score another goal, because at the end of the first half in the match at the same time in Group H, Morocco opened the scoring against Colombia thanks to Anissa Lahmari's goal.
At that time, Colombia and Morocco shared six points, while Germany only had four. The European representative played all his hands in the second half, but could not score more goals, accepted to divide the points and left with Korea. Although Colombia lost, still kept the top of the group, and Morocco attended the World Cup for the first time but reached the knockout round. They are the only team to do that, out of eight rookies this term.
At the end of the match, the Moroccan players gathered in the middle of the field to watch Germany's match, then not over, on the phone screen. And when the final whistle of the German match sounded, the Moroccan players cried and ran in many directions to celebrate the achievement. Morocco's men's team reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, and now the women's team makes history.
Germany entered the tournament as the world's number two team, and is also the second richest in women's World Cup history after the United States, with two championships (2003, 2007). But this is the first time they have stopped in the group stage, ending a series of forgettable results with the German teams in recent major tournaments. At the end of the game, the captain striker Popp stood on his hips in the middle of the field, crying and shaking his head repeatedly.
The group stage of the 2023 Women's World Cup also closed after this moment, with three big surprises as Brazil, Canada and Germany were eliminated. All three of these teams are regular guests at the tournament, standing in the Top 10 in the world for a long time.
The round of 16 of the Women's World Cup will take place from August 5 to August 8, starting with the match between Switzerland and Spain. The focus of the round was the match between the US and Sweden, but the clash between Japan and Norway was also notable.
