Why this moment in Germany’s penalty shootout nightmare has sparked national outrage — WC Daily

The fallout to Germany’s shock World Cup exit has taken a dramatic twist over claims several players shirked taking a penalty in the crunch moments of their dramatic shootout loss.

The European heavyweights were sent packing by Paraguay in one of the biggest boilovers in tournament history, with centre back Jonathan Tah missing a key penalty as the South Americans won the shootout 4-3.

However it has since emerged the Germans struggled to find a player willing to take the sixth penalty.

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According to a report from German newspaper Bild, Germany, Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown and Malick Thiaw “hesitated and dodged the challenge due to the immense pressure”

The report claimed Goretzka, a veteran of 73 international caps, was even approached twice by captain Joshua Kimmich but declined.

Tah, who was denied a winning goal by VAR in extra time, stepped up for the first penalty in his career but missed.

“To be honest, I felt good. I wasn’t extremely nervous, which is what I actually thought I would be, but I didn’t hit it well,” Tah said post-match.

“I would take one again next time.

“I think it’s important to take responsibility in difficult moments. That was something I specifically resolved to do for this tournament: to take responsibility – and that’s why I did it in that moment.”

DUTCH COACH QUITS AFTER EXIT

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman has announced he is stepping down after his team were knocked out of the World Cup by Morocco in the last 32.

“Last night I took the decision to end my stint as head coach of the Dutch National Team,” Koeman said in a statement on Instagram.

“We all shared the dream of making history at this World Cup, but we fell short. No one is more disappointed by that than I am.

“As head coach, the responsibility ultimately rests with me.”

The Netherlands had been tipped to make a run deep into the tournament but Morocco beat them 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the match in Monterrey had finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.

The Netherlands were leading 1-0 in the final minutes of the match thanks to a Cody Gakpo goal, but they conceded an equalizer deep in stoppage time when Issa Diop scored.

Koeman revealed last month his wife Bartina had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

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MEXICO FANS LAY SIEGE TO RIVAL’S TEAM HOTEL

Mexico fans staged a noisy celebration outside Ecuador’s team hotel late Monday in an apparent attempt to disrupt the South American side’s preparations for their last 32 World Cup clash against the tournament co-hosts, officials said.

The Ecuador Football Federation (FEF) said Tuesday it had lodged an official complaint with World Cup organisers after the rowdy scenes outside their team’s hotel in Mexico City on Monday.

“This behavior is far removed from the principles of fair play, equity, and unity that a football World Cup should represent,” the FEF noted in an official statement released on social media.

Ecuador face co-hosts Mexico later on Tuesday at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium for a place in the last 16 of the tournament.

Addressing the scenes outside the Ecuador hotel on Tuesday, Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum said “one must always be respectful of others” before acknowledging that Mexican football victories bring “enormous joy.”

“We trust the Mexican people to act responsibly,” the president added. On Monday, Mexico fans arrived at the Ecuador hotel in a caravan of cars and motorcycles according to footage published by local newspaper Reforma.

Waving Mexican flags and blasting air horns, car horns, and trumpets, fans could be heard shouting “Ecuador won’t sleep!”.

Mexico City police subsequently established a “perimeter cordon around the area,” while traffic officers managed the flow of vehicles around the area.

“Subsequently, the crowd dispersed, and the situation returned to normal,” a police report said.

Some Mexican media personalities, such as Fox Sports host Ana Valero, encouraged fans to join in the disturbance through ironic messages appealing to fans “not to go” to the hotel while simultaneously providing the address and time, and suggesting they bring “serenades, firecrackers, and noisemakers” to disturb Ecuador’s players.

The incident echoes similar disturbances at the 1970 World Cup, when Mexico fans descended on England’s team hotel on the night before their group clash with Brazil in Guadalajara.

Fans banged dustbin lids, honked car horns and marched directly into the hotel corridors in a bid to disrupt English players’ sleep.

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