Paraguay were more than just 'uncomfortable' for s...
Key takeaways
- Playing in their first FIFA World Cup knockout game for 12 years, the four-time winners were beaten by Paraguay on penalties on Monday after a stale 1-1 draw at Boston Stadium.
- Germany have never before lost a World Cup penalty shootout, but this is a shadow of the teams from their illustrious past.
- That Germany arrived here in the conversation as possible winners was only because of what they've achieved before.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Playing in their first FIFA World Cup knockout game for 12 years, the four-time winners were beaten by Paraguay on penalties on Monday after a stale 1-1 draw at Boston Stadium.
Germany have never before lost a World Cup penalty shootout, but this is a shadow of the teams from their illustrious past. The players from 1954, 1974, 1990 and 2014 would have found a way to win against a Paraguay team who were thrashed 4-1 by the United States in their opening group game and only reached the last 32 as the seventh of eight-best third-place qualifiers.
That Germany arrived here in the conversation as possible winners was only because of what they've achieved before. Julian Nagelsmann's version of Die Mannschaft is a pale imitation.