A painted Costa Rica fan yells excitedly in the stands prior to the match at Al Bayt Stadium [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Al Khor, Qatar – Despite winning a rollercoaster match against underdogs Costa Rica, Germany have failed to advance to the Round of 16 of the World Cup in Qatar after Japan stunned Spain in the other Group E match.
Four-time champions Germany defeated Costa Rica 4-2 at Al Bayt Stadium on Thursday but the victory was bittersweet as they finished third in the group, crashing out in the group stage for a second consecutive time.
In a simultaneous match taking place at Khalifa International Stadium, Japan shockingly defeated favourites Spain 2-1, allowing both of those teams to advance at the expense of Germany and Costa Rica.
The match started sluggishly, with Costa Rica having a difficult time making it out of their end and an early goal by German forward Serge Gnabry did not help that momentum. However, a rapid-fire second half, with the lead being traded between the teams, stirred the dreams of Costa Rica fans – until Kai Havertz’s brace and Niclas Fullkrug’s goal at the end of regulation time snuffed out their hopes.
Notably, history was also made in this match as French referee Stephane Frappart became the first woman to officiate a men’s World Cup clash.
Costa Rica fans were in high spirits before kickoff [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
The first female-led trio to officiate a men’s match in a FIFA World Cup takes to the field [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Al Bayt Stadium is the tournament’s second largest venue, with an official capacity of 68,895 [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Germany fans smile from the stands prior to the match [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Costa Rica’s keeper, Keylor Navas, clears the ball [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Costa Rica score their second goal [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
The brief lead sparked big celebrations for Costa Rica players and their supporters in the stands [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Jamal Musiala barrels through Costa Rican defenders [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
The mood in the Costa Rica stands changed as the German onslaught late in the second half took the lead from the Central American team [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
German players Joshua Kimmich and Antonio Rudiger in action during the second half of the match [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
There was stress in the Costa Rica stands as their team lost steam to a driven German offence [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Players shake hands with officials after the end of the match that saw both teams eliminated [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
Costa Rica fans stand proud of their team’s performance despite the 4-2 loss to Germany [Showkat Shafi/Al Jazeera]
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