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DFB captain Manuel Neuer (right) comforts playmaker Jamal Musiala
Photo:
Dan Mullan/Getty Images
The German national soccer team has been eliminated in the preliminary round of a World Cup for the second time in a row.
In the third group game of the World Cup in Qatar, the Germans played 4:2 (1:0) against Costa Rica.
Serge Gnabry (10'), Kai Havertz (73', 85') and Niclas Füllkrug (89') scored for Germany, while Yeltsin Tejada (58') and Juan Pablo Vargas (70') scored for Costa Rica.
Because Spain lost 1:2 (1:0) against Japan in the parallel game, Germany remained in third place despite the win.
The Japanese win Group E and meet Croatia in the round of 16.
Spain in second place will face Morocco in the next round.
The game started with an attack by the DFB selection.
Jamal Musiala was the first to finish (2', 7'), Thomas Müller headed wide after a perfect cross from Joshua Kimmich, who was playing at right-back (9').
The superiority not only resulted in chances, but also in the lead when Gnabry headed in a cross from David Raum (10th).
Creative in the front, suddenly insecure in the back
After the goal, Goretzka became dangerous again after a Müller cross (14'), but the game initially lost the momentum of the initial phase.
This was also due to the fact that Costa Rica defended less hectically.
Nevertheless, Germany became dangerous: Kimmich with a long-range shot (35th), Musiala after one of his many dribbles (36th) and Gnabry with a flick (39th) missed the 2-0.
As confident as the German team seemed, they made a few serious mistakes just before half-time.
After a long ball from the Costa Ricans, there was a mismatch between Raum and Antonio Rüdiger, who served Keysher Fuller with a reasonable attempt at clarification.
Manuel Neuer was able to deflect his shot over the goal (42').
Shortly thereafter, the German defense shook again when Niklas Süle kicked the ball over a cross (44').
Costa Rica turns the game, Germany hits back
After the half-time break, the table situation derailed from a German point of view.
Costa Rica now played more confidently and got into the German half more often.
After a bad pass from Raum, the underdog played a quick counterattack down the right flank, which the Germans just ran with.
Neuer saved Kendall Watson's shot, but Tejeda used the rebound to make it 1-1 (58').
Germany reacted to the equalizer with a dedicated attacking game, but were unlucky.
Musiala hit the inside post from a tight angle (61'), then Rüdiger failed at the goal frame after a pass from Kimmich (62'), before the post got in the way again with a nice flick from Musiala (67').
Things got wild: Vargas threw himself into the ball when there was a mess in the German penalty area. Neuer stood awkwardly next to him while the ball slipped past him into the goal (70').
For a moment it looked as if Costa Rica were in the round of 16 – but then substitute Niclas Füllkrug headed a header from Kimmich with his heel to Kai Havertz, who was also substitute, and lobped Navas from close range (73').
After the equalizer, Germany took the lead.
Havertz scored again to make it 3-2, before Füllkrug even increased it to 4-2 after assisting Leroy Sané.
The two-goal lead would have been enough for Germany to progress if Spain had also managed to beat Japan 2-2 at the same time.
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