In quite possibly the most remarkable finish to a 2018 FIFA World Cup game yet, Germany scored a dramatic late winner to defeat Sweden and move closer to salvaging a disappointing start to their defense of the title.
Germany won a free kick just outside the box with less than a minute of stoppage time to play while locked in a 1-1 draw, and mere seconds from full time, German midfielder Toni Kroos curled the ball in from an exceptionally difficult angle to win the match.
TONI KROOS HAS THE CLUTCH GENE pic.twitter.com/YDO2nNQty7
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 23, 2018
The circumstances were remarkable. Germany was struggling, and while a draw would not have eliminated them from the knockout round, but it would have meant they needed to beat South Korea while getting help from Mexico just to advance. Now, the group is wide open.
In addition, Germany had ten men at the time, as defender Jerome Boateng had been sent off for a second yellow card about ten minutes from full time.
Sure, this is not the first late winner of the World Cup, but given the circumstances and the skill involved, it’s probably the best so far.
