BEN MEMULETIWON
As it was with Italy in 2010 in South Africa so was it in Brazil in 2014 with Spain as defending champions. Now the bitter pill of defeat has been forced down the throats of the German machines, the world champions who suffered a shock early exit after being beaten 2-0 by South Korea in Kazan.
After winning the FIFA Confederation Cup in style with relatively unknown bunch of players last year, bookmakers went heywire predicting that the 2018 edition of the global soccer fiesta was just waiting for Germany on the podium. But how far were they from reality. Germany must have to leave Russia now within 24 hours. And have to rebuild the German machine that pummelled hosts Brazil 7-1 four years ago.
Nobody needs to weep for the defending champions as they deserved nothing more than utter embarrassment which they got in large quantum. The disaster of a first game defeat by Mexico was only delayed with a last kick victory over Sweden. But then it happened. It was unavoidable. And their ouster will be the talk of the town for a long time. No football analyst ever imagined that Germany would be the whipping team of Group F. Not even in their wildest imagination.
Toni Kroos’ 95th-minute winner against Sweden in their second match on Saturday looked to have given Germany a World Cup lifeline, but their pathetic performance in the 2-0 loss to South Korea ensured that they were eliminated from the World Cup at the group stage for the first time in 80 years. And in truth, they got exactly what they deserved.
Had they defeated South Korea who had already been beaten black and blue by Sweden and Mexico, they would have got away with it. They would have progressed to the knockout stage and perhap found their lethal magic. But what they turned in at the Kazan Arena instead was a performance short of direction, of belief, of desire and of heart. It was everything football and World Cup followers have come to expect of Germany but in reverse.
Coach Joachim Low looked thoroughly traumatised after the defeat. For a coach who had never led the national team to anything less than a semi-final spot in his 12-year reign, it was understandable. Not even the four changes to the side which saw off Sweden could give him the desired result as they couldn’t get themselves to replicate those efforts which saw them escape from Sochi with all three points.
Far from turning in a more energetic, dynamic display, they started off every bit as sluggish as they had been in the opening halves of their first two fixtures.
They were slow on the ball in midfield, to the point that Korea were looking dangerous from broken play in the central third, and when they did get the ball forward there was no pace in their play to pull the well-drilled Korean defence out of shape.
So far Germany remains the biggest casuality of the Russia 2018 World Cup after Nigeria was sholved aside on Tuesday.
