Quote · The Rest Is Football
Terrible Germany crash out as Brazil fight back
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Germany Crash Out: The Immediate Verdict
At 7:10 · chapter starts 6:15
With the dust barely settled, Gary Lineker turns to Alan Shearer — who was in the stadium in Boston — for an eyewitness verdict. Shearer doesn't hold back: Germany's first half was as bad a performance as he had seen in years, with no energy, no quality and no collective fight. Micah Richards adds context, arguing that despite possessing genuine individual talent — Musiala, Wirtz, Havertz, Kimmich — Germany lack cohesion and move the ball too slowly. He draws a pointed comparison to England: similarly talented, similarly dysfunctional. For Gary Lineker, the result is Germany's third consecutive failure to reach the Round of 16 at a World Cup — a staggering statistic for a nation that once defined tournament football.
Germany finally lost a World Cup penalty shootout — and the panel agrees they deserved every bit of their humiliating exit. Alan Shearer, who was at the game in Boston, called the first half one of the worst performances he had ever seen: no energy, no quality, no fight.
Germany have now failed to make the Round of 16 in three consecutive World Cup tournaments, a stunning fall for a historically dominant side.
Germany have now failed to make the Round of 16 in three consecutive World Cups. The team that once reliably went deep into every tournament has become a side defined by underperformance relative to its talent — a cautionary tale for any major football nation.
Micah Richards doesn't think Germany's problem is purely a lack of quality. The decision to bring back Manuel Neuer was unpopular domestically, and Nagelsmann visibly struggles under tournament pressure. With the right leadership, Germany's talent should be doing far more.
The USA defeated Germany 4-1 in the group stage, an early indicator of German vulnerability in this tournament.
Germany had a goal controversially ruled out via VAR — and both Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker are unequivocal: the Paraguay goalkeeper dived, the ref was conned, and Germany were robbed. The decision changed the entire trajectory of the game.
