The 2018 Russia World Cup has been characterized as one of the most unpredictable, where favorites are struggling more than expected, but without a doubt, no one expected that the current world champion, the German national team, would be eliminated in the group stage of the tournament, a fact that has left images reflecting the bitterness, pain, and frustration of the German fans who are now packing their bags to go back home.
Germany played a golden opportunity to qualify for the round of 16 of Group F. To do this, they only needed to defeat South Korea, the most battered team in the group after losing their two matches against Sweden and Mexico, who were not fighting for anything except for honor, but it seems that this was the necessary motivation to come out and make it a difficult match for the Germans.
While Sweden beat an unrecognizable Mexico 3-0 in Russia 2018, Germany only had the duty to win 1-0 against the South Koreans, but this did not happen and in injury time, South Korea managed to secure a 2-0 victory and eliminate the German team in the group stage, a fact that had not happened since 1938.
It has been a harsh blow for a team that comes with a series of players who play in the most important, expensive, and competitive leagues in Europe, but this was not enough for Joachim Löw's team to show their unity; in fact, not only did the great defensive game deployed by South Korea work against the Germans, but also Germany's own limitations, especially the absence of fast-paced play and the lack of efficiency in front of goal.
The ones who suffered the most were the German fans who had everything ready to celebrate their qualification for the round of 16, but as the minutes passed, the festive atmosphere, the smiles turned into faces of disbelief, annoyance, concern, and anxiety, which then led to expressions of dismay and bitterness when the final whistle blew and sealed the fate of the 2014 world champion.