German football striker Thomas Müller (33) hinted that he would retire from the national team after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Müller is Germany’s main striker.
Germany was eliminated from the World Cup stage on the 2nd (Korea time) in 3rd place in the group. It is a failure to progress to the round of 16 in two consecutive tournaments following the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Germany have advanced to the finals 20 times in 22 World Cups.
Germany defeated Costa Rica 4-2 in the third and final match of Group E of the Qatar 2022 World Cup group stage held at the Al Bite Stadium in Alcor, Qatar on the 2nd. Despite winning the match, Germany were eliminated from the finals by finishing third in the group.
This is because Spain and Germany in the same group were pushed out on goal difference. The goal difference rule means that the team that loses a lesser score advances. Germany and Spain have 4 points (1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss). But on goal difference, Spain +6 and Germany +1.
After the match against Costa Rica, German national team player Müller said, “If today’s game is the last game I play for Germany, I would like to say a few words to the German fans.” He continued, “Thank you very much. I always did my best to show my civility.”
Muller is a skilled player who scored 44 goals in 121 games. Müller was born in 1989. This tournament is more or less the last World Cup.
“Sometimes I shed tears of joy, sometimes tears of pain,” said Muller after the game. “I played for the national team with love. Now it’s time to think about the whole situation.”
“(Germany’s exit from the group stage) was a total disaster,” Müller said.
With this, Japan topped Group E of the Qatar World Cup. The Japan national football team came from behind to win 2-1 against Spain in the third and final match of Group E of the Qatar World Cup group stage held at the Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar on the 2nd (Korea time ). 2nd in the group and progress to the round of 16.
This is the third time in 20 years that an Asian team has passed the group stage in first place in the World Cup. The two previous cases were Korea and Japan during the 2002 Korea-Japan Games. In particular, Japan is the first Asian country to advance to the round of 16 in two consecutive World Cups.
※ Chosun Weekly online article.
