28 June,2018 08:03 AM IST | Kazan, Russia | PA Sport
Germany's Thomas Mueller hides his face in disappointment as a South Korean player celebrates his team's 2-0 victory at Kazan yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Holders Germany were sensationally dumped out of the World Cup after a late VAR review set South Korea on the way to a 2-0 win in their Group F encounter. Kim Young-gwon thought he had fired the Koreans ahead a minute into added time but the goal was initially disallowed for offside. However, after a VAR review showed Germany's Toni Kroos got the last touch, the decision was overturned.
Tottenham striker Son Heung-min then rolled the ball into an empty net to turn the screw with German keeper Manuel Neuer stranded upfield to make it 2-0. The defeat, coupled with Sweden's win over Mexico, ensured Germany failed to emerge from the group stage for the first time. Joachim Loew's men, who needed Toni Kroos' late free-kick against Sweden to preserve their hopes, created only a handful of chances with defender Mats Hummels having squandered perhaps the best of them three minutes from time.
Indeed, the game's first real chance came at the other end after Khedira had been penalised for a high challenge on Jung Woo-young. Jung dusted himself down before firing in a 19th-minute free-kick which Neuer spilled before only just managing to claw it away.
Distraught German fans after their team's World Cup exit yesterday
For their part, Germany were rarely able to inject any pace to open up their opponents and create genuine chances. Loew's side belatedly started to flex their muscles as the whistle approached with striker Timo Werner seeing a 39th-minute shot deflected over and Hummels forcing a point-blank save from Jo Hyeon-woo.
Neuer looked far more comfortable as he fielded Jung's speculative effort within seconds of the restart, but it was opposite number Jo, who produced a fine save to keep out Leon Goretzka's 48th-minute header. However, as news that Sweden had taken the lead in Nizhny Novgorod filtered through, Werner volleyed wastefully wide from Ozil's pull-back when he looked odds-on to score.
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