Champions Germany exit World Cup

Mesut Ozil and Toni Kroos started for the Germans [/caption] World champions Germany have exited the 2018 FIFA World Cup after finishing bottom of Group F. The four-time champions went out on Wednesday after going 0-2 down to South Korea in their final group game at the Kazan Arena in Russia. Sweden joined Mexico as the qualifiers from the group after the Europeans beat the North Americans 3-0 in the final group game. Germany came into the tournament as the bookmakers’ favourites after using a fairly second-string side to win the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. [caption id="attachment_55840" align="alignnone" width="565"] Germany won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup[/caption] They were the highest ranked side in this year’s tournament, to boot. But an opening day loss to Mexico brought into question the strength of Joachim Leuw’s side to repeat the feat in Brazil four years ago. They bounced back, albeit with difficulty, in their second game, clinching a 2-1 win courtesy a Toni Kroos free kick, over Sweden. But Wednesday’s game proved more difficult for Die Mannschaft despite having beaten South Korea in previous meetings at the world cup, one in 1994 and the other in South Korea in 2002. The Koreans took advantage of the Germans surge forward in injury time to punish them. The first goal was scored in the 93rd minute by Kim Young-gwon and the second was netted three minutes later through poster boy and Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min. South Korea’s goalie Cho Hyun-woo was named the Man of the Match. The exit by Germany perpetuates a jinx in the past two world cups, which have seen the holders exit at the group stage. Germany 2006 champions Italy exited at the group stage in South Africa in 2010 while winners that year, Spain, took an early shower in Brazil in 2014. By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana Follow @kwame_amoh]]>