Germany, the World Cup champion in Brazil in '14, "humiliatingly crashed out of the group stage" on Wednesday, losing 2-0 to South Korea in Kazan on two stoppage-time goals, according to Kevin Draper of the N.Y. TIMES. Repeating as the World Cup champion is challenging, and has not been done since Brazil's victory in '62. Four of the last five champions have "failed to even advance to the knockout rounds in the following tournament, let alone win again." It is the first time since 1938 that Germany has failed to advance from the first round of the World Cup. As it has been all tournament, Germany was "let down by its profligacy in front of the goal," as the nation scored just two goals over three games. Mexico fans in Yekaterinburg, learning about the goal from their phones as their team was trailing, 3-0, to Sweden and facing elimination, "jubilantly jumped in the air, knowing a 1-0 German victory would have knocked Mexico out but that a tie or loss by Germany would allow Mexico to advance" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/27). In London, Callum Davis reported the linesman's offside flag "looked to have given the Germans a late reprieve" when Kim Young-gwon "stabbed home in stoppage-time," but a VAR review showed the last touch had come off a Germany defender before falling to the striker. Germany's "demise" was enjoyed by partisan England fans on Twitter, including former Olympic champion Matthew Pinsent. ITV anchor Jacqui Oatley said, "My English brain, veteran of several men's and women's tournaments dominated by Germany, can't compute seeing bottom of the table and fans crying. Not gloating, it just doesn't look right." Anti-European Union politician Nigel Farage took Germany's failure as "an opportunity to mock" German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Brazilian broadcaster Fox Sports Brasil "enjoyed the schadenfreude" of seeing Germany "crash out in such ignominious fashion." The German reaction "was just as scathing." Former captain Michael Ballack called for an "honest assessment" of how Germany failed so "dismally" (TELEGRAPH, 6/27).
