Meme fest explodes after Germany knocked out of World Cup 2022; Japan's heroics applauded
Germany came back from 2-1 down against Costa Rica to win 4-2 but was still eliminated from the Qatar World Cup 2022 as Japan beat Spain 2-1 to finish on top in Group E.
FollowGermany was knocked out of the Qatar World Cup 2022 for a second consecutive time despite a 4-2 win over Costa Rica on Thursday after the four-times champions settled for third in Group E following Japan's 2-1 victory over Spain.
Germany knew they had to defeat Costa Rica, and they got off to the best possible start when Serge Gnabry headed in David Raum's exquisite cross. The next time Leon Goretska attempted to score with a header, Keylor Navas made a quick stop to prevent it.
Soon after Gnabry missed the post with a shot, Costa Rica nearly punished Germany for its missed opportunities, but Keysher Fuller was denied by Manuel Neuer's outstanding save in a one-on-one situation.
Yeltsin Tejeda of Costa Rica equalised the scores early in the second half as Japan unexpectedly took the lead against Spain, making the task for Germany much more difficult.
Antonio Rüdiger struck the post, and Jamal Musiala hit the woodwork twice, coming agonisingly close on three consecutive occasions as Hansi Flick's team rallied. However, Costa Rica miraculously took the lead through Juan Pablo Vargas instead of moving ahead on its own.
As if the night couldn't get any crazier, Germany equalised when Kai Havertz found himself in the box unmarked and kicked the ball into the ground, which caused it to ricochet over Navas.
Navas then made an incredible stop from close range on Leroy Sane to keep Costa Rica in the match. This topsy-turvy game went right down to the wire when Havertz had his brace, and substitute Niclas Füllkrug made it 4-2 right at the death. However, this win was not enough for Germany to qualify for the round of 16.
Japan pull off a stunning win over Spain
Spain completely dominated the first half, but Japan overcame this to win 2-1 stunningly. Spain chose Alvaro Morata as their customary number nine, which instantly paid dividends as the Atlético Madrid player headed in the opening goal after receiving a precise cross.
As Spain dominated possession and limited Japan to a few half-chances in the first half, Morata continued to provide a threat from inside the box.
After the break, Japan's high-intensity pressing punished Spain for sloppy passing by stealing the ball, which replacement Ritsu Doan skillfully finished. Almost shortly after, Japan put the ball in the back of the net once more, and a VAR review affirmed that Ao Tanaka's goal stood.
Minutes before the end, Dani Olmo came within inches of winning, but Japan held on thanks to an outstanding second-half performance to win Group E.
Japan will now face Croatia in the round of 16 on December 5, while Spain has a tough challenge against Morocco on December 6.
Football fans went berserk following Germany's shocking elimination from World Cup 2022 and Japan's heroics that saw the men from the Land of the Rising Sun beat Hansi Flick's team and Luis Enrique's side in the group stages of the showpiece tournament.
From jokes and memes on Germany's exit to applauses for Japan, here's a look at how Twitter users reacted to nail-biting Group E action:
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