The German Olympic team did not get more than 1: 1 (0: 0) in their last group game against Ivory Coast and thus missed the quarter-finals. Benjamin Henrichs’ own goal gave the Ivorians (67th minute) the lead, Eduard Löwen only managed to equalize with a free kick (73rd). After the silver medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, the 2021 Olympic football tournament for the DFB team will end after the group stage.
Before kick-off, the DFB selection in Group D had taken third place with three points behind Brazil and the Ivorians (four points each). At the Miyagi Stadium in Rifu, Stefan Kuntz’s team only had one win to advance. The German team began accordingly briskly: Almost every minute, the Olympic selection combined in the initial phase in the final position, the Ivorian goalkeeper Eliezer Ira Tape had to intervene for the first time in a shot by Marco Richter (11th).
With a header from striker Ragnar Ache (26th), the Ivory Coast team was also lucky that the ball only hit the crossbar and from there out. At this point, however, the German team had already lost the momentum of the first quarter of an hour, the Ivory Coast was now safer and had smaller chances even after bad passes by the German team.
Löwen’s dream goal is not enough
At the break, captain Maximilian Arnold was replaced after being sent off in the opening game against Brazil back in the starting line-up and again at risk of yellow and red. Without the Wolfsburg, the German team experienced a mixed up start into the second half. After a long throw from the Ivorians into the penalty area, Henrichs then failed to clear the ball in front of Youssouf Dao: The full-back from RB Leipzig straddled the ball into his own goal (67th).
The German team now needed two goals and acted accordingly more offensively. Cedric Teuchert failed from an acute angle at the Ivorian goalkeeper (70th), Löwen was successful with a directly converted free kick (73rd). In the closing stages, however, the Ivory Coast team had a better chance of winning the game, and they brought the well-deserved draw over time.
