They may be the football world champions, but the Germans are not very popular champions. As such, when the defending champions ended a fairly dismal run at the world cup with last night’s abject surrender to South Korea, not too many were lamenting. In fact, Germany’s 2018 world cup downfall seemed to make people inordinately happy. Many were busy creating grim parallels between the match and Germany’s dark historical past.
The Germans lost to South Korea. Humiliatingly, it was a stunning 2-0 drubbing handed out to the defending champions. The bleak prophecy about defending champions faring poorly appeared to have come true and the Germans seemed speechless.
Two utterly thrilling goals in the final minutes of the match sent many fans into a frenzy of celebration and the Germans into the depths of despair.
Germany’s ignominious exit from this world cup has not elicited much sympathy. For many, it was a case of unalloyed Schadenfreude (ironically a German word that means “pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune”). For others it was just a debilitated German team that didn’t quite match up to its former winning avatar.
Fans were hugely impressed by the heroic efforts of the Korean goalkeeper – inevitably, there was the meme with the GOT reference.
And that is an allusion to Avengers Infinity War, in case you didn’t get that.
Brazilian fans were undoubtedly delighted; some had a very peculiar, even macabre way of celebrating. Here we see a ‘funeral procession’ of Germany’s hopes.
Thanks to the Korean win, Mexico progressed to the next stage of the competition. Reportedly, in Mexico, outside the South Korean embassy there were chants that translated as “Korea brother, you're now Mexican”. A random Korean man was also carried around on people's shoulders in a Mexican square!
Mexican and Korean fans suddenly became best friends – a friendship based on a shared antipathy towards the Germans and the collateral benefit of the Korean win for Mexico presumably. Showing support by elongating the eyes like this may not be the most politically correct thing to do, but maybe the Koreans didn’t really mind.
While Mexican fans in Russia were going around with Korean flags and thanking random Koreans there, the Mexican Airline also decided to express their happiness. Aero Mexico is offering a 20% discount to all those traveling to South Korea.
More Schadenfreude here perhaps, but Fox Sports Brasil had just this to say!
For some reason, the fact that World War II started after Germany’s exit at the group stages seemed relevant. “I just hope Germany does not declare World War III #FifaWorldCup18” said popular standup coming Atul Khatri.
Again it was a WW II allusion about the Germans being forced to leave Russia in 1945. The FIFA exit was altogether quicker, felt some!
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