Germans shocked at World Cup exit, but credit Japanese skill

Jul 10, 2011, 11:39 GMT

By Helen Maguire, dpa Eds: epa photos available =

Berlin (dpa) - Millions of Germans were shocked and disappointed Sunday at their team's early exit from the women's World Cup finals, but also gave credit to the skill and perseverance of their Japanese rivals.

Tears flowed on the pitch after a goal by Japan's Karina Maruyama, in the 108th minute, unexpectedly ended the German dream of a third successive World Cup title.

Germany had been a favourite from the start of the competition, and enjoyed the host country bonus of playing to a home crowd. More than 26,000 German fans filled the Wolfsburg stadium, while another 17 million watched on their television screens.

'I always thought we'd sneak a goal but this wasn't about playing elegantly today,' said coach Silvia Neid. 'To score we probably would have needed a shot hitting a Japanese player and deflecting into goal.'

The match also ended the career of German star player Birgit Prinz, 33, and left Kim Kulig with a torn cruciate ligament, just three minutes into the game.

'Tears, grief, OVER!,' ran the headline in mass publication Bild, alongside pictures of the devastated players. 'But for us you remain heroines.'

The online portal of Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper called the game 'a gigantic disappointment,' while the Sunday edition of Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote, 'Nerves fail - a bitter exit in the quarter final.'

Meanwhile Berlin's BZ paper consoled readers, 'No worries, the Bundesliga is back in 26 days,' in reference to the popular men's league championships.

Amid the bitter disappointment however, many German fans conceded that, on Saturday, the Japanese had simply been the better players.

'The great favourites lacked the ideas and ease of the Japanese, who, though physically inferior, were playing at a higher level' Frankfurter Allgemeine wrote online.

This feeling was shared among the Twitter community.

'Where do the small Japanese find the fighting spirit?' wrote one fan. 'Good luck for the rest of the competition.'

'The Japanese really earned it yesterday, you have to admit that in sporting honesty,' another wrote, adding, 'The way they ran, that was great!'

Commenting on the speed and dexterity of the Japanese team, several people asked on Twitter, 'how many of them are actually on the pitch?'

Many Germans posted online that Japan were their new favourites to win, while some commented that they deserved World Cup victory after the devastation caused by this year's earthquake and tsunami.

German newspapers also turned their attention to Saturday's other quarter-final, in which England lost 4-3 in the penalty shoot-out against France after the game finished 1-1 after extra-time.

'Women are also just men,' wrote Berlin daily Tagesspiegel, in reference to England men's recent history of losing on penalties.

'Of course, comparisons between women and men are utterly unacceptable, but regarding England you can't help avoid one parallel: neither can do penalty shoot-outs.'

The German coach, Neid, said that eventually the team would be able to look back positively at the World Cup.

'You noticed how women's football is accepted in Germany, that is a great feeling. The interest is there, that makes me happy,' she said.

Or, as one fan, Alexander Dommes, wrote on Twitter, 'Respect! These are the magic moments of women's football.'

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