Korea Republic’s historic 2-0 win over Germany in Kazan may not have been enough for the Taeguk Warriors to progress to the Round of 16 from Group F, but it will nevertheless go down as a result for the ages as the reigning champions were also eliminated from the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ at the first hurdle.
The pattern of the first half was as expected, with Germany trying to set the tempo and the South Koreans looking to hit them on the break. However, neither team seriously threatened to score and the only dangerous chance was from a swerving Koo Jacheol free-kick that caused Manuel Neuer some difficulty, but the goalkeeper managed to block it and then flick the ball away just in time before Son Heungmin could get to the rebound.
