World Cup NOW: What’s next for Germany after early exit?

Germany’s 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup title hopes went down the drain on Thursday, when it played South Korea to a 1-1 draw and was subsequently eliminated from the tournament after Morocco took down Colombia.

Germany was in control of the ball for the bulk of the game and had several missed scoring opportunities down the stretch. To boot, this marks the first time that Germany hasn’t advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup.

Where does Germany go from here?

On the latest edition of “World Cup NOW,” Jimmy Conrad, Kathryn Gill and Leslie Osborne broke down what’s next for Germany after its disappointing showing.

The ‘World Cup NOW’ crew reacts to Germany’s elimination after draw vs. South Korea

Jimmy Conrad: “I feel like they [Germany] had an established identity, so it wasn’t an issue there. They were creating chances, maybe not as diverse in their attack as we would like to see, [as] a lot of it [was] going through Alexandra Popp, just heading goals in and getting crosses. It just came down to the fine margins. They didn’t mark. They went zonal defending against Colombia on that last corner kick, they lose that. They didn’t seem like they were up for the fight for that game. … South Korea only had two shots on goal the whole game, and it’s just incredible that [Germany is] out. One win, one draw, one loss, and they’re out.”

Kate Gil: “I think they’ll probably lose some players. I know Popp’s still young, but is she gonna be around for another World Cup? I don’t know. She’s had a lot of injuries, as well. It’s going to take some time for them to actually get over what’s just happened. I still can’t believe it’s just happened, to be fair. I think it speaks to the competition. You could see someone who we have not anticipated winning this competition actually winning it.”

Leslie Osborne: “This new format, 32 teams. We knew going into it that the game has gone to the highest level possible. It’s the most competitive World Cup. You’re seeing all these federations continue to pump in money and support, some more than others, but that gap is closing. There are so many examples throughout this World Cup that it has, and it continues to do. For the Germanys, even the U.S., which isn’t playing great, how are they getting better? So the gap is closed, but how do you stay on top? And that’s what I think a German team is gonna go back and really take a look inside [at].”

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