06/20/26 05:33:00
Printable Page
06/20 17:32 CDT Undav scores twice, saves Germany with 2-1 World Cup win over
Ivory Coast
Undav scores twice, saves Germany with 2-1 World Cup win over Ivory Coast
By LEXIE LINDERMAN
Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) --- Deniz Undav scored twice after being subbed on in the second
half as Germany defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday and clinched a spot in the
knockout phase at the World Cup.
Four minutes into stoppage time, Undav received a pass from Felix Nmecha in
front of the net and rifled it past Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana to give
the Germans a comeback win.
Undav's first goal of the match came after Nadiem Amiri sent in a long ball --
that striker Kai Havertz let pass him by -- onto the boot of Undav, who slammed
it into the back of the net at the 68th minute. Both Amiri and Undav had subbed
on eight minutes earlier.
Four-time champion Germany has come back from disappointing group stage exits
in 2018 and 2022, while Ivory Coast is still searching for its first knockout
stage appearance and could still qualify. The last time Germany got past the
group stage it won the tournament in 2014.
Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie opened the scoring in the 30th minute after
midfielder Yan Diomande sent in a cross to forward Amad Diallo. His shot was
blocked by Germany's Nathaniel Brown, but the ball bounced back to Kessie, who
slotted it in the wide-open left corner of the net.
Germany had two goals waved off in a frustrating first half. The first was in
the 21st minute when Fofana batted the ball into his own net, but Germany
midfielder Aleksander Pavlovic made illegal contact with Fofana on the play.
The second came in the 38th minute on a foul, as Jamal Musiala was called for
contact on the build-up to what would've been a Havertz goal.
After a court fight to get into Canada, Elye Wahi, the Ivory Coast striker
under investigation for alleged betting-related offenses while playing in
France for Nice, did not play.
___
Lexie Linderman is a student in the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at
Penn State.
___
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup
|
