Costa Rica vs Germany LIVE: World Cup 2022 result and reaction as Germany win but go out
Germany must defeat Costa Rica or else they will be eliminated from the World Cup
Four-time champions Germany sensationally crashed out of the World Cup despite a 4-2 victory over Costa Rica in their last Group E match on Thursday, tumbling out at the first hurdle for the second consecutive time. Germany finished third in the standings, behind Spain on goal difference, with Japan top following their 2-1 win over the Spaniards.
The result left Japan facing Croatia in the last 16 while Spain will take on Morocco. On a night of unrelenting drama in the desert near Doha, the Germans struck first with Serge Gnabry in the 10th minute but saw the Central Americans score twice with Yeltsin Tejeda and a Manuel Neuer own goal before a Kai Havertz brace put them back in front. Fellow substitute Niclas Fuellkrug added a fourth in stoppage time but it could do nothing to prevent their elimination as Spain advanced with a superior goal difference. It was the first time in their illustrious World Cup history that Germany had failed to win any of their first two group matches and despite bagging a win on their last attempt, they will be departing Qatar with dropped heads.
“In the first half I was disappointed and very angry at my team and how we allowed the opponent to come back,” Germany coach Hansi Flick said. “We wanted to score three or four goals in the first half but then we made mistakes. If we had converted those chances, 16 of them. But the tournament was not decided today for us. We did not have any efficiency at this tournament and that is why we were eliminated.”
They were teetering on the brink of elimination going into the game after losing their opening group match to Japan and then snatching a 1-1 draw against Spain. Needing only victory to avoid a repeat of their shock 2018 World Cup first round exit, Germany, with seven Bayern Munich players in their line-up, charged forward from the start in search of an early goal to settle their nerves. Jamal Musiala cut from left into the box and tested keeper Keylor Navas with a low drive in the second minute. It was one-way traffic initially and unmarked Thomas Mueller should have done much better when he was picked out by Joshua Kimmich but could not keep his header on target. Gnabry, however, scored with his glancing header in the 10th minute to put the four-time champions in front. Costa Rica, who required at least a point to have a chance to progress, rarely crossed into the German half, with only about 25% possession in the first 45 minutes. Germany were eager to make amends for their bad tournament start with teenager Musiala repeatedly taking on the entire Costa Rican defence. The chances kept coming but the Germans, as in the game against Japan, struggled to convert them. They were almost punished when Keysher Fuller benefitted from a double defensive blunder but his shot was tipped over the bar by Neuer, whose 19th appearance at the tournament was a World Cup record for goalkeepers.
With the group standings flashing up on the big screen of the Al Bayt stadium, Germany grew nervous with Musiala twice hitting the post early in the second half. Neuer, however, could do nothing 13 minutes after the restart when Tejeda thundered the ball past him on the rebound after he had first saved a Kendall Waston header. Juan Pablo Vargas then appeared to have bundled the ball over the line in the 70th minute to put Costa Rica in front but the effort was later credited as a Neuer own goal. Substitute Havertz scored twice in 12 minutes and Fuellkrug added another in stoppage time but ultimately it was too little too late with Spain advancing with a superior goal difference.
Relive all the action from out live blog below:
Hansi Flick reverses roles after Japan loss as substitutes save Germany against Spain
If substitutes were Germany’s nemeses against Japan, a replacement turned their rescuer against Spain. Hansi Flick was outwitted as Hajime Moriyasu’s changes conjured a famous win for the Japanese. Flick could at least savour the sense of a role reversal when Niclas Fullkrug lashed a shot past Unai Simon after a move that involved another whom Flick had introduced, in Leroy Sane. Germany, who had conceded in the 83rd minute to Japan, scored in it against Spain.
Given the gulf in class at times, they may not have deserved a draw. Yet for decades, Germany were the specialists in prevailing, whether emphatically or efficiently, on penalties or within regulation time. They pilfered a point.
Now a team accustomed to finals in the truest sense of the phrase face another. There is a finality to their game against Costa Rica. There can be a gratitude towards their opponents, too. Given Spain’s superior goal difference, a draw at the Al-Bayt Stadium would have all but eliminated Germany if, as expected, Japan beat a side coming off a 7-0 walloping. Yet if the most important goal of Germany’s World Cup has been scored in previous years by Helmut Rahn, Gerd Muller, Andreas Brehme or Mario Gotze. in 2022 it has come courtesy not of Fullkrug, but of Keysher Fuller. If the name scarcely sounds Germanic, he is from Costa Rica, not Cologne and plies his trade for Herediano, not Hannover.
Hansi Flick reverses roles after Japan loss as substitutes save Germany against Spain
Spain 1-1 Germany: Niclas Fullkrug lashed home an equaliser to end a move involving Leroy Sane, a fellow second-half substitute
Costa Rica vs Germany line-up
Germany XI: Neuer; Kimmich, Rudiger, Sule, Raum; Goretzka, Gundogan, Sane; Musiala, Gnabry, Muller
Costa Rica XI: Navas; Duarte, Waston, Vargas; Fuller, Borges, Tejeda, Oviedo; Aguilera, Venegas, Campbell
Referee’s appointment hailed as breakthrough for ‘very sexist’ football
Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez believes the milestone appointment of a female referee at the men’s World Cup is a major step forward for the “very sexist” football industry.
France’s Stephanie Frappart will make history on Thursday as the first woman to take charge of a match at the men’s tournament when she oversees the crunch clash between Suarez’s side and Germany.
The 38-year-old will lead an all-female on-field team after FIFA selected Neuza Back of Brazil and Mexico’s Karen Diaz Medina as her assistants.
Germany must win the Group E match to stay in contention for the knockout stages, while Costa Rica can guarantee a last-16 spot with victory.
First female World Cup referee hailed as breakthrough for ‘very sexist’ football
The 38-year-old will lead an all-female on-field team, including Neuza Back and Karen Diaz Medina, in Costa Rica’s clash with Germany
Costa Rica vs Germany early team news and predicted line-ups
Costa Rican defender Francisco Calvo picked up a second yellow card against Japan and is suspended. Hansi Flick has no fresh injury concerns and must choose betweern Thomas Muller or Niclas Fullkrug in attack.
Predicted line-ups
Costa Rica: Navas, Fuller, Duarte, Chacon, Watson, Oviedo, Torres, Borges, Tejeda, Campbell, Contreras.
Germany: Neuer, Klostermann, Sule, Rudiger, Rau, Kimmich, Gundogan, Gnabry, Musiala, Sane, Fullkrug.
Referee Stephanie Frappart to make World Cup history as part of all-female team
French referee Stephanie Frappart will make World Cup history as part of an all-female officiating team when she takes charge of Germany’s match against Costa Rica on Thursday.
Frappart will become the first female official to referee a men’s World Cup match, while Brazilian Neuza Back and Mexican Karen Diaz will be the assistant referees for the Group E match.
Frappart, the fourth official for the Poland-Mexico clash in Group C last week, will be the main referee as she reaches another milestone in the sport.
Referee Stephanie Frappart to make World Cup history as part of all-female team
Frappart will become the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match when she takes charge of the Group E fixture between Germany and Costa Rica
Costa Rica vs Germany
Still to come tonight. Costa Rica are taking on Germany in a winner-takes-all clash in Group E.
Hansi Flick’s Germany are bottom of the group with just one point from their two matches and must win tonight if they want to make it through to the next round.
They also need Spain to avoid defeat to Japan to make it happen.
Costa Rica’s best chance of qualifying is to beat Germany and also hope that Spain do them a favour.
Reaction from Roberto Martinez
“It’s not easy to win games in the World Cup. We weren’t ourselves in first game we had a deserved defeat in second game. Today we were ready, we created opportunities and today there is no regrets. We’re out but we can leave with our heads held high.
“You see Youri Tielemans and other young players - the golden generation is doing something that is bringing the next generation on. It’s not what names are on the pitch the legacy can be left in many ways.
“No, we wanted to get through but I’m sure the other national teams wanted to get through and that’s the tournament. In the previous World Cup we won three games in the group stage, we wanted to go all the way.”
Croatia midfield delivers calmness and control amid the chaos
Croatia know how to deliver when it matters most. Finalists four years ago, this group are battle-hardened in knockout football, this game to close out Group F - a lose and go home match one round early - playing right into their hands. In what would be a heated contest with much to gain and everything to lose, they needed cool heads. Fortunately for them, they had the three coolest in the stadium.
Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic have seen it all in the colours of their national team, veterans and star turns of this gilded run of a golden group of players. Croatia saw off Denmark, Russia and England, all via extra time, to reach the final in Russia back in 2018. They know how to win in these moments. Crucially for this one here, they also know how not to lose.
Safe in the knowledge that a point would secure progress to the last 16, a performance of calmness and control among the was desperately required. And the three safest hands of all helped deliver it.
Croatia midfield delivers calmness and control amid the chaos
Croatia 0-0 Belgium: Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic were crucial as the Croats advanced at the expense of their opponents
FT Croatia 0-0 Belgium
Is this the end of the road for Roberto Martinez?
The Belgium manager’s contract comes to an end following this World Cup and after such disappointment it would be a surprise if he wasn’t offered an extension.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments