South Korea pulled off a major upset in the World Cup group stage, delivering a remarkable defensive performance that resulted in a 1-1 draw, ultimately eliminating tournament favorites Germany. Alex Popp’s goal just before halftime equalized Cho So-hyun’s early strike, but with Morocco securing a win against Colombia, Germany needed a victory to avoid elimination. Germany had not anticipated the need for a win in this match, given their confidence as European Championship runners-up and their favorable group with Colombia, South Korea, and Morocco. However, as this World Cup has shown, the gap between traditional powerhouses and other teams is closing rapidly.
The German team made two changes from their previous shocking loss to Colombia, replacing defender Sara Doorsoun and midfielder Lina Magull with Marina Hegering and Lea Schüller. South Korea also made three changes after their 1-0 defeat to Morocco. Germany appeared unsettled early on due to South Korea’s aggressive press, likely still affected by their loss to Colombia. South Korea took advantage of this vulnerability and scored within six minutes through Cho So-hyun, capitalizing on Germany’s defensive lapse. Popp, who had missed the Euros final due to an injury, equalized with a powerful header, temporarily lifting Germany to second place. However, Morocco’s shock lead against Colombia just before halftime dashed Germany’s hopes of advancing.
Germany dominated possession with 72% and had nine shots compared to South Korea’s three, but both teams managed to have two shots on target. Popp hit the crossbar with another header, but Germany struggled to create clear-cut chances as South Korea’s solid defense held off their relentless pressure. As the final whistle blew, Germany players displayed their despair and tears flowed, while thousands of kilometers away, a jubilant group of Morocco players celebrated the news of the result, having suffered a 6-0 defeat to Germany in their opening game.
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