Germany into U17 WC final after 6-goal thriller & penalties with Argentina

The U17 World Cup has already delivered plenty of excitement, and this semi-final just added to the exceptional performances.

Germany secured their spot in the U-17 World Cup final after a thrilling penalty shootout triumph over Argentina in the semifinal clash held at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta, Indonesia. The match, witnessed by 8,525 spectators, unfolded into a nail-biting contest that showcased remarkable skill and determination from both teams.

Argentina 3-3 Germany: World Cup semi decided on penalties

The game began with early excitement as Paris Brunner of Germany found the net just nine minutes into the first half. Brunner skillfully received a well-timed pass on the left side of the attack, maneuvered past Dylan Gorosito, and clinically struck the ball to beat Argentina’s goalkeeper, Jeremias Florentin.

Argentina, led by the outstanding Agustín Ruberto, responded with resilience. Ruberto, who would go on to score three goals in the match (including his spot kick), equalized the score in the 36th minute after a precise cross from the aforementioned defender Gorosito. He later put Argentina in the lead with another goal just before halftime.

The second half saw Germany pushing forward, taking risks to overturn the deficit. Brunner once again came to the rescue, capitalizing on an error by Florentin to score from outside the box and level the score at 2-2. Max Moerstedt then capitalized on a defensive lapse by Tobias Palacio and Juan Villalba to head in the third goal for Germany.

Despite a valiant effort from Argentina to equalise, Germany’s solid defence held firm. But then, in added time, Ruberto, the star of the Argentine team, once again rose to the occasion, scoring a dramatic late goal to force the match into a penalty shootout.

Penalty shootouts are often seen as lotteries but when it comes to the Germans they have a little something about them. The European players converted four of their five penalty kicks, while Argentina faltered with misses from Echeverri and Mastantuono. The final score of the shootout was 4-2 in favour of Germany, securing their place in the U-17 World Cup final.

The match, officiated by Portuguese referee João Pedro Silva Pinheiro, saw some heated moments, with several players receiving yellow cards. Mastantuono and Juan Giménez were cautioned for Argentina, while Odogu, Darvich, and Moerstedt received yellow cards for Germany.

The stage is now set for Germany to compete in the U-17 World Cup final, where they will await the winner of the second semifinal between France and Mali (Tuesday 5 a.m. ET).