Qatar: Germany is clinging to its place in the 2022 World Cup by a thread after a 1-1 draw with Spain at the Al Bayt stadium on Sunday night, but may live to regret squandering two second-half open goals.
They would already be history now if Costa Rica had not toppled Japan earlier in the day. Germany now has to beat Costa Rica, which it should, and hope that Japan does not scratch out a point against Spain, which it shouldn’t. But shoulds and shouldn’ts have lost their certainty in this tournament.
History says this match would be worth of a World Cup final, though in fact they have never played one against the other. Circumstances made it a more humble occasion for Germany, but no less desperate, in the way that a relegation match can have all the intensity of a championship decider.
Spain almost took an early lead from Dani Olmo’s fierce drive, but German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer somehow tipped it onto the crossbar.
Germany’s Niclas Fuellkrug finds the all-important equaliser.Credit:Getty Images
Spain came with its own ball. Its play consisted of long series of intricate passes, sometimes earning their own mini-round of applause, like for an aria in an opera or an instrumental solo. But unlike England against the US two nights previously, each play was working towards a particular objective.
You could just about hear the cogs whirring.
That said, their only other unambiguous chance for the half was an open goal missed by Ferran Torres. It would have been ruled off-side anyway.
Not able to impose themselves as they once might have, Germany had to harass and harry, but they did it well. From their few set pieces, they threatened, and from one in the 39th minute, Antonio Ruediger headed home, only for VAR to detect that he was millimetres offside.
Germany began the second half more urgently, and a chance fell to Joshua Kimmich, whose close-range shot was saved by Unai Simon.
Moments later, Jordi Alba slipped a ball towards the near post, and substitute Alvaro Morata timed his arrival perfectly and Spain had the goal it had earned.
Germany should have had an equaliser soon afterwards when Bayern Munich wunderkind Jamal Musiala found himself wide open with almost too much time and only the keeper to beat. He couldn’t.
This was an emergency now. The ratio of possession reversed, the game became more chaotic and at length the ball fell to substitute Niclas Fuellkrug, who scored from pointblank range. It will have made the Germans feel better about themselves, but it barely changed the equation. Germany spent the last quarter hour battering Spain’s goal to no avail.
Germany have made their name as a great tournament team. They will need to be now.
