Germany has been shockingly knocked out of the 2023 Women’s World Cup at the group stage. The European powerhouse was bounced from the tournament after a disappointing 1-1 draw against South Korea on Thursday. Germany was one of the favorites to collect the trophy and is currently ranked second in the world by FIFA.

The Asians started the scoring in the match inside six minutes with a goal from Cho So-hyun. Germany fought back in the match to level the scoreline, but couldn’t find a winning goal late in the match. Despite the draw, Germany could have still qualified for the round of 16. They just needed Colombia to either beat or draw against Morocco. Nevertheless, the African nation beat Colombia 1-0 with a goal just before the halftime break.

Germany captain at a loss of words after Women’s World Cup exit

Germany now exits the Women’s World Cup at the group stage for the first time in its illustrious history. The Germans previously won the 2003 and 2007 versions of the competition and finished fourth in 2015. After the match, captain Alexandra Popp couldn’t quite find the words to describe the incredible disappointment.

“To be honest, I can’t comprehend it. I don’t know what I should really say. I can’t really understand what has happened to be honest. Yeah, no idea,” Popp stated after the match.

“We are very disappointed. It’s very, very hard to me to analyze this match. It’s hard to say [what was missing]. We needed one more goal, but we didn’t [find it].”

Popp scored Germany’s lone goal of the game, her fourth of the tournament. The team’s captain thought she had scored the winner in the second half, but was eventually ruled to have been offside. Despite the draw, the forward was awkwardly awarded as the Player of the Match.

USWNT vs Sweden winner now the favorite

With Germany now out of the competition, the USWNT has solidified its place as one of the favorites to hoist the trophy. However, the Americans have not exactly been firing on all cylinders just yet. They also face a tough test against third-ranked Sweden on Sunday, Aug. 6. The winner of the massive match will become the clear favorite of the tournament.

PHOTO: IMAGO & AAP