FIFA Women’s World Cup: Two-time champion Germany in unfamiliar territory after loss to Colombia

Germany’s gamers anticipated they’d have certified for the knockout spherical by now on the Women’s World Cup as a result of, effectively, they normally do.

Only as soon as earlier than has two-time World Cup champion Germany wanted to win its final group sport to advance. The No. 2-ranked Germans play winless South Korea, ranked seventeenth, on Thursday in Brisbane, Australia.

“It’s added pressure,” head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg stated after Germany’s surprising 2-1 loss to Colombia on Sunday.

Germany hadn’t misplaced a group-stage match on the Women’s World Cup in 28 years.

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In 1995, Germany misplaced its second group-stage sport 3-2 to host Sweden. Germany went on to the Women’s World Cup ultimate that 12 months, shedding to Norway.

Until encountering Colombia on the Sydney Football Stadium, Germany hadn’t misplaced in 20 group-stage matches since.

And now, the stoppage-time header by Colombia’s Manuela Vanegas has the Germans dealing with the potential for not qualifying out of the group for the primary time ever.

“The fact is we have to win the last game. This is all that counts for me right now,” midfielder Lena Oberdorf stated.

Oberdorf, who performed in Germany’s run to the ultimate on the 2022 Euros, understands the strain of big-time video games and acknowledges that this isn’t the place the staff envisaged coming into the match in Australia and New Zealand.

“We have become so strong as a team, we just calm down, focus on the last game and then do a task,” Oberdorf stated.

By conceding two objectives to Colombia, the Germans allowed extra objectives in a single match than that they had within the final two Women’s World Cup group levels mixed. Germany allowed no objectives in group-stage matches in 2019 and only one in 2015.

For a bunch of gamers not used to shedding on this early a part of the match, it’s much more essential for Voss-Tecklenburg to deal with feelings and ensure the staff is in the appropriate mindset shifting ahead.

“Well, my job is to be a role model for everybody and say ‘It’s up to us,’” Voss-Tecklenburg stated. “To encourage my players, to stay with them, and to support them, to say ‘We’re not going to be divided, and we win together, we lose together, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.’”

After shedding to Sweden within the group stage in 1995, Germany went out and gained 6-1 towards Brazil.

Even with a win towards South Korea, Germany is more likely to end second in Group H. Germany has solely completed second in its group on the Women’s World Cup as soon as earlier than, in 1999, when it had a win and two attracts within the group.

If South Korea pulls off a surprising upset, and Morocco wins or attracts towards Colombia, then Germany would end third within the group, with Colombia and Morocco advancing.

Germany opened the match with a 6-0 win over a Moroccan staff making its debut within the match. An 89th-minute equalizer on Sunday evening had many individuals pondering Germany had escaped with a draw towards Colombia. That end result gave even South Korea the slightest of probabilities of advancing regardless of losses to Colombia and Morocco, including extra strain on the German staff.

“We have to go all in,” midfielder Lina Magull stated. “We have to win this game, and I think still now I am (feeling) very positive to win this game.”