The German team needed to solve not the most difficult problem in its history to reach the playoffs: beating Costa Rica. But the fate of the Germans, if they did not win with a prohibitive goal difference, depended on the result of Spain’s match with Japan. Hans-Dieter Flick did not put the classic center forward Niklas Füllkrug, who scored for the Spaniards, in the front again played by the versatile Thomas Mueller.
With the score 0-0, the game scenario was very simple: Germany pressed with terrible force, and Costa Rica defended at their penalty area in a 5-4-1 scheme and hoped to drive the “bus” to a draw. Nevertheless, despite their opponent’s super defensive tactics, Flick’s team easily created moment after moment. The Germans baffled the Costa Ricans with openings and combinations between the lines, crosses to the attacking players who burst in from deep. The Bundestim possessed the ball almost 80% of the time, and if they lost it, they quickly regained it. Playing like that, Germany should have scored and did so as early as the 10th minute.
The appearance of Jozua Kimmich at right back drew attention. He was very much involved in the game (60 touches on the ball just before the break), and Muller could have scored from his awesome cross. If the Costa Ricans were lucky in this episode, Serge Gnabry still hit Keylor Navas with a header after David Raoum’s cross from the left flank. Germany scored in a quick counterattack, taking advantage of Colombian coach Luis Suarez’s team finally risking to run forward with an entire group of players.
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In the second half, Flick put Kimmich back in at fullback. But it didn’t get any better – after the break the Germans were in for a nightmare. First, Japan equalized in the parallel match and, while the coach was preparing to replace Füllkrugg, scored the second goal for the Spaniards. This meant that Germany had to score six more. A few minutes later, the Bundesstim dropped to last place in the group! Costa Rica scored after Rauma’s cutback on the counter attack. Yeltsin Tejeda, named after the first president of Russia, succeeded on the rebound, marking his first appearance for the national team in 75 games.
Flick’s team took 31 shots and hit the box 11 times. They earned a well-deserved victory, avoiding embarrassment in the match against Costa Rica. But the result was still a failure, third place in the group.