Chronicle Editor
GERMAN fans, deep down, perhaps never truly expected their side to go all the way to the Euro 2024 final. However, that will not make the nature of their dramatic 2-1 defeat to Spain any less painful.
Having looked to have done enough to take their enthralling quarter-final clash to penalties as Florian Wirtz cancelled out Dani Olmo’s opener, up popped another substitute Mikel Merino with a powerful 119th-minute header to break the host nation’s hearts.
But if there was a sense of “what if” at the final whistle, it did not linger long as many Germany supporters stayed behind at the Stuttgart Arena to applaud the efforts of their players. “There was incredible drama right to the end; you could not take your eyes off it,” former Scotland international Ally McCoist said on ITV Sport.
“There was nothing between the teams. It was a flip of the coin.”Ex-Republic of Ireland captain Roy Keane added: “Soul, spirit and effort — all the momentum was with Germany. Did they just about to deserve to win? Probably. It was like two heavyweight boxers swinging at each other.”
Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann was understandably hurting after full-time. “It’s difficult to hold back the tears,” he said shortly after the final whistle. They did not deserve to lose. It hurts; it will take time to make it better,” he said. But this result and performance were a far cry from when Germany played Spain four years ago.
Back then, they suffered their heaviest defeat in a competitive match as they lost 6-0 in the Nations League, a result that left them arguably at their lowest ebb. It was sandwiched between disappointing group-stage exits at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, with Germany looking far from the force they once were.
But at this tournament, the four-time world champions have looked an exciting and dynamic side once again. In Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz, they have a young and talented forward line, with the experienced striker Niclas Fullkrug providing a different kind of threat off the bench.
Musiala (21) has scored three goals in five games for Germany, while Wirtz, also 21, almost made the difference against Spain, scoring the equaliser at the end of normal time before going close to a second in extra time.— BBC
Bongani Ndlovu