'We Deserved it': German Fans Reckon with Early World Cup Exit

Germany leaves the field after the World Cup Group E soccer game between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Germany leaves the field after the World Cup Group E soccer game between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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'We Deserved it': German Fans Reckon with Early World Cup Exit

Germany leaves the field after the World Cup Group E soccer game between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Germany leaves the field after the World Cup Group E soccer game between Costa Rica and Germany at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, December 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

In a quickly-emptying east Berlin bar, Eric Warncke is "disappointed" by Germany's shock exit from the World Cup, but says he already suspected it might happen.

After a surprise 2-1 loss in the opening game to Japan, the team left themselves a hill to climb to make it through to the knockout round in Qatar, AFP said.

A tense 1-1 draw against Spain gave them hope of qualification, but the Spaniards' own defeat at the hands of the Japanese Thursday sealed the Germans' fate despite a turbulent 4-2 win over Costa Rica.

"Nobody expected Japan to beat Spain, but in the end we were knocked out deservedly," Warncke, 27, says.

To his mind, there are "too few characters, too few leaders" in Hansi Flick's squad compared with the previous sides.

Germany used to pride itself on being a "tournament team", which always had a chance of winning World Cups.

"Individually they are all good players, but it's not a team," he says, lamenting the disappearance of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski, who lifted the trophy in 2014.

Like him, his friend Rico Wagner, 23, summed up the feeling: "Disappointed, but we also deserved it".

- Viewing figures -
After a rollercoaster game in which Germany first seemed to be going through, then did not and finally could not do enough despite a late push, the fans in the bar showed their frustration.

Even before the TV commentator confirmed Japan's win and Germany's exit, crying "this is a debacle, this is a disaster," some fans grabbed their coats and headed for the door.

The full-time whistle, when it came, was met with angry shouts.

Germany should have made it "to the quarter finals, definitely", says Levent Lanzke, 41.

"On paper it was possible, but Japan turned up. Costa Rica, too," he said with a shrug.

"Put it this way, I don't begrudge Japan," he said.

"The enthusiasm was already really low," said Sebastian Fichte, 48, reflecting on the controversial host nation Qatar and the decision to move the tournament to the European winter months from its traditional summer slot.

Concerns over human rights in Qatar have dogged preparations for the tournament and sparked calls by some of Germany's football fan clubs to boycott games.

When football's world governing body FIFA threatened teams with disciplinary action if they wore a rainbow armband to show support for diversity and inclusivity, the German players posed for a photo with their hands over their mouths. The message was clear -- they had been gagged.

Viewing figures for Germany's games so far have been well below their usual levels.

But Fichte says he will not be boycotting the rest of the World Cup despite Germany's exit.

Likewise, another fan, 43-year-old Michael Schreiber, says: "I'll watch a game or two. Definitely. I get excited about good games most of all."



Swiatek Fights Back to Down McNally and Reach Third Round

Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Caty McNally of the US. (Reuters)
Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Caty McNally of the US. (Reuters)
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Swiatek Fights Back to Down McNally and Reach Third Round

Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Caty McNally of the US. (Reuters)
Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 3, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning her second round match against Caty McNally of the US. (Reuters)

Iga Swiatek may not love the grass but relishes a battle whatever the surface and showed all that fight and bullish determination as she recovered to beat American Caty McNally 5-7 6-2 6-1 and reach the Wimbledon third round on Thursday.

McNally, the world number 208, looked poised to cause an upset when she clawed her way back from 4-1 down to take the first set against the five-times Grand Slam champion.

At that point Swiatek's mediocre record at the All England Club, where the Pole has never gone past the quarter-finals, seemed to be weighing heavily on her shoulders.

But rather than shy away from the scrap, the former world number one flicked a psychological switch that saw her come out for the second set transformed, upping her aggression and playing with a ferocity McNally simply could not handle.

She broke early in the second set and never looked back, losing only three more games to set up a clash with another American Danielle Collins.

"I started the match well, so I knew that my game was there," said Swiatek. "I knew that at the start of the second set I had to be more accurate. I just tried to improve and I'm happy it worked."

The eighth seed may have her sights set far higher than the third round, but by reaching the last 32 she underlined her consistency on the big stage.

The 23-year-old is the third player this century to reach the third round in 22 consecutive women’s singles Grand Slams after Amelie Mauresmo and Serena Williams.

DIFFICULT SURFACE

Whether such milestones are enough to persuade Swiatek she can excel on a surface that has so far proven difficult to master is yet to be determined.

With four French Open titles to her name, another at the US Open and two semi-final appearances in Australia, her unspectacular Wimbledon record stands out like a sore thumb.

A run to the Bad Homburg final in the grasscourt warm-up event showed her game is not entirely unsuited to the surface, though there was a period in the first set against McNally where she may have wondered if this tournament was simply not for her.

Having broken early and raced into a 4-1 lead, the wheels briefly came off as McNally did everything to push Swiatek out of her comfort zone.

The American pushed right up to the baseline to receive serve, trying to give Swiatek less time to react to the return and for a while it worked.

McNally spurned four break points in the seventh game before finally taking her chance at the fifth attempt before breaking again for a 6-5 lead when Swiatek swiped a backhand long.

When the Pole fired a wild forehand off target to hand McNally the opener, everything seemed to be going the American's way. But that was as good as it got.

DOUBLES PARTNERS

Swiatek knows McNally's game well - the pair were doubles partners in their youth, clinching the junior title at Roland Garros in 2018 - and set about dismantling it in double-quick time.

She broke for a 2-0 lead in the second set and again to level the contest at one set each.

Swiatek then did the same at the start of the third set, breaking to go 2-0 ahead, with a forehand swiped cross-court, while another forehand winner saw her break again to move 4-0 up.

It was then straightforward for the Pole, although she did have to save five break points before wrapping up victory with an ace.

As well as earning her spot in the next round, the match against her old playing partner offered a pleasing trip down memory lane.

"It's pretty funny because I remember these matches pretty well," she said of her junior days.

"We know each other pretty well ... She's one of the people who make you feel like you are not only rivals on tour but that you can also respect each other and like each other."