Fifa U-17 World Cup: Germany beat France on penalties to lift maiden trophy
Germany have lifted the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ for the first time following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over France in Surakarta.
Goals from Paris Brunner and Noah Darvich gave the Germans a 2-0 lead, but a quick-fire goal by Saimon Bouabre and a red card for Winners Osawe shifted the momentum in France’s favour, with Mathis Amougou later turning home an 85th-minute equaliser. Germany would ultimately prevail, though, following a topsy-turvy 4-3 shootout win.
The European champions started the game in lightning-quick fashion and thought they had opened the scoring early on when Brunner rifled home from close-range, but the goal was ruled out by the assistant for an offside in the build-up.
Brunner wouldn’t be denied for long, however. After some penalty-box pinball, Bilal Yalcinkaya nipped in front of Aymen Sadi whose outstretched leg brought down the forward. Following an on-field review, referee Espen Eskas awarded a spot-kick which Brunner confidently stroked home just before the half-hour mark.
Germany didn’t let up and would double their lead just after the break. Max Moerstedt broke down the right and played a teasing ball looking for Brunner, and while it didn’t reach its intended target, captain Darvich followed up to turn the ball home from a tight angle.
That goal seemingly sparked France into life and they found a route back into the game almost immediately. Bouabre skipped past a German challenge down the left and arrowed a terrific strike into the bottom corner to halve the arrears barely two minutes later.
The momentum shift became all the more evident soon after, as Osawe was sent off for a second booking following a late challenge on Ismail Bouneb in the 69th minute.
France kept pushing and would eventually be rewarded five minutes from time. Tidiam Gomis broke away down the right after a nice one-two and laid the ball across for Amougou to turn home from close-range and send the game to a shootout.
Konstantin Heide would come up trumps once again for Germany, though, as the goalkeeper saved two France penalties, allowing Almugera Kabar to confidently dispatch the winning spot-kick.
Germany have become the first European nation to win the continental and world titles in the same year.
