There are plenty of doom mongers when it comes to Germany Lena Lattwein is aiming to prove them wrong today.
“I think it’s so important to stay positive,” midfielder Lattwein said. “We’re very focused as a team and hold ourselves to the highest standard. That goes for each and every one of us, both individually and collectively.
“At the same time, we know it’s good for us to cut ourselves a little slack. We need to laugh and have fun to make sure we can get into our flow and take our love of the game out onto the pitch with us.”
South Korea are managed by Englishman Colin Bell, who was hoping for a better tournament. Instead he has overseen two defeats in as many games.
“The expectation when you come to a World Cup is obviously to perform at a top level, and unfortunately we’ve not been able to show that consistently,” Bell said.
“What’s missing for us in those two games is that one success moment, that goal, just to break that duck. I think that has been missing – that one action to really show and prove that we are good enough. I know that the players are good enough but it has been very disappointing.”
The great Karen Carney on the great Alexandra Popp.
Germany are aiming to avoid the embarrassment of being knocked out at the group stage. After starting off with a 6-0 win over Morocco, they slumped to a shock defeat against Colombia, leaving them, realistically, needing a result today. South Korea are their opponents, winless and pointless from their two games but they are a better side than that suggests.
The experience of Alexandra Popp could be crucial for this young German side because she will not want to bow out with a whimper after last summer’s heartbreak in the Euros when she missed the final because of an injury suffered in the warmup.
South Korea have had a poor tournament and will have expected to challenge to get out of the group, so will be desperate to end on a high note of any sort.
A win would guarantee progression for Germany and they will not settle for anything less.