North Korea rarely threatened to trouble German goalkeeper Vivien Brandt, their first effort a harmless long-range strike from Ju Hyo Sim in the 20th minute. At the other end, Meier failed to head home in the 22nd minute before Walkling struck a wonderful free-kick into the top right-hand corner only three minutes later to make it 3-0. Germany attacked again in the 28th minute, but Lea Schüller’s effort was saved by goalkeeper Kim.
But the team in red refused to be beaten, Ju pulling a goal back from a corner on the half-hour mark. It was not long before the 2012 runners-up were in full flow, Sung Hyang Sim taking advantage of a mix-up between defender Fellhauer and goalkeeper Brandt to make the score 3-2 in the 34th minute. And things went from bad to worse for the young German side as the half-time whistle approached: Sung might not have been able to convert her effort in the 39th minute, but Wi Jong Sim completed the comeback by scoring the all-important equaliser two minutes later.
Germany might have made a brighter start to the second period, but they were often unable to penetrate a packed North Korea defence. Sehan hit a shot from distance in the 53rd minute, but her effort flew wide of the right-hand goalpost. The Asian outfit remained compact at the back and the match lost its tempo.
Penalty seals defeat
The final blow came in the 58th minute when referee Lucila Venegas (Mexico) pointed to the spot after Viehl committed a foul in the area, Ri Ji Hyang converting the subsequent penalty to make the score 4-3. The match became an increasingly quiet affair, with neither team creating many goal-scoring chances. North Korea again put the ball in the back of the net in the 70th minute, but the assistant referee raised her flag for offside.
With the next goal there for the taking, the 2012 runners-up seized the initiative and created two good chances to beat Brandt in the 73rd and 74th minutes. But Germany continued to get forward despite the Asian side’s dominance, Matheis firing the ball over the crossbar in the 77th minute before substitute Laura Widak’s 88th-minute free-kick failed to trouble goalkeeper Kim. The European champions were visibly disappointed when the referee blew her whistle, putting an end to their World Cup dreams.
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The German U-17 women’s team have failed to qualify for the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Costa Rica after losing their final group stage match 4-3 (3-3) to Korea DPR. But even a victory for DFB coach Anouschka Bernhard’s young guns would not have guaranteed their place in the next round after Canada beat leaders Ghana 2-1 in the group’s other match to progress into the last eight. The young German team went into the clash with the North Koreans knowing that their fate was no longer in their own hands.
The reigning European champions lost the match despite racing into a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Nina Ehegötz (5), Jasmin Sehan (12) and Ricarda Walkling (24). Bernhard’s team had drawn 2-2 against Canada in their opener before losing 1-0 to Ghana in their second match.
"We made a bright start to the game. But I can’t really explain what happened next. I was actually quite relieved when the half-time whistle went," said a disappointed Bernhard. "During the interval I told my players to think about how they played at the start of the half rather than how they finished it. But unfortunately we just couldn’t get back into the game."
Sensational start for Germany
Playermaker Sehan returned to the team for the match in Alajuela, an encounter played in temperatures of 29 degrees centigrade.The 16-year-old VfL Wolfsburg starlet had missed Germany’s clash with Ghana after suffering cerebral concussion in their opener against Canada. Isabella Hartig and Kim Fellhauer, who both missed the match against the Black Stars, returned to their respective positions at the left and centre of defence, while Saskia Matheis lined up alongside Saskia Meier.
Germany demonstrated great desire at the outset, the first chance falling to Sehan in the second minute. But the playmaker was unable to beat North Korean keeper Kim Myong Sun after receiving a great ball from Meier. Ehegötz was not to be denied in the fifth minute, though, the FSV Gütersloh 2009 player latching on to a wonderful pass and racing clean-through on goal before coolly slotting home to put Germany into the lead for the first time at the tournament.
Bernhard’s charges maintained a high tempo and soon reaped the rewards, Sehan scoring in the 12th minute after calmly controlling a precise pass from Hartig and striking the ball into the opposing goal. The reigning European champions continued to pour forward, but Andrea Viehl’s fierce shot in the 19th minute sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
3-0 lead followed by capitulation
North Korea rarely threatened to trouble German goalkeeper Vivien Brandt, their first effort a harmless long-range strike from Ju Hyo Sim in the 20th minute. At the other end, Meier failed to head home in the 22nd minute before Walkling struck a wonderful free-kick into the top right-hand corner only three minutes later to make it 3-0. Germany attacked again in the 28th minute, but Lea Schüller’s effort was saved by goalkeeper Kim.
But the team in red refused to be beaten, Ju pulling a goal back from a corner on the half-hour mark. It was not long before the 2012 runners-up were in full flow, Sung Hyang Sim taking advantage of a mix-up between defender Fellhauer and goalkeeper Brandt to make the score 3-2 in the 34th minute. And things went from bad to worse for the young German side as the half-time whistle approached: Sung might not have been able to convert her effort in the 39th minute, but Wi Jong Sim completed the comeback by scoring the all-important equaliser two minutes later.
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Germany might have made a brighter start to the second period, but they were often unable to penetrate a packed North Korea defence. Sehan hit a shot from distance in the 53rd minute, but her effort flew wide of the right-hand goalpost. The Asian outfit remained compact at the back and the match lost its tempo.
Penalty seals defeat
The final blow came in the 58th minute when referee Lucila Venegas (Mexico) pointed to the spot after Viehl committed a foul in the area, Ri Ji Hyang converting the subsequent penalty to make the score 4-3. The match became an increasingly quiet affair, with neither team creating many goal-scoring chances. North Korea again put the ball in the back of the net in the 70th minute, but the assistant referee raised her flag for offside.
With the next goal there for the taking, the 2012 runners-up seized the initiative and created two good chances to beat Brandt in the 73rd and 74th minutes. But Germany continued to get forward despite the Asian side’s dominance, Matheis firing the ball over the crossbar in the 77th minute before substitute Laura Widak’s 88th-minute free-kick failed to trouble goalkeeper Kim. The European champions were visibly disappointed when the referee blew her whistle, putting an end to their World Cup dreams.
