Penalty drama for Germany: four shied away, Tah missed

In the World Cup Round of 32, Germany lost 4-3 to Paraguay in a penalty shootout and bowed out of the tournament. The elimination came to dominate the agenda along with what happened in the closing moments of Germany's shootout.

In the match, Havertz, Woltemade and Jonathan Tah were the ones to miss crucial penalties. As the shootout went long, the question of who would step up for the decisive sixth penalty turned into a critical moment for Germany.

According to the report, at this point Germany struggled to find a player to take the kick. Per the report, Leon Goretzka, Waldemar Anton, Nathaniel Brown and Malick Thiaw hesitated under the pressure of the moment and avoided taking responsibility. In this situation, Jonathan Tah — who had never taken a penalty in his career — was left to step up.

Despite the responsibility he took on, the experienced defender could not find the net and sent the ball over the bar. After that miss, Paraguay converted their final penalty to win the shootout and book their place in the last 16. Germany, despite being four-time world champions, thus made an unexpectedly early exit after these critical moments in the shootout. The hesitation during the penalty process became one of the most discussed topics on the German side after the elimination. That responsibility fell to a player without experience in it, rather than an established penalty taker, was one of the most talked-about aspects of the result.

Source: Bild
Image: Transfermarkt