Iceland Loses World Cup Qualifier Against Germany
The Icelandic women's football team lost their World Cup qualifying match against Germany on Saturday, with a final score of 2 – 0, RÚV reports. If the team is going to have a shot at qualifying for their first World Cup ever, then, it's imperative they win against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Iceland went into the match at the top of Group 5, with 16 points. Germany was ranked second in the group with 15 points. Had Iceland won, they could have been certain of a direct qualification. Only the group winners will go directly through to the next round, while the four best-ranked teams from the European qualifiers will have to go through additional playoffs.
Iceland started their sold-out homefield match looking strong, keeping the pressure on their opponents and preventing them from seeing much of the ball. As the first half progressed, Germany slowly won more possession but Iceland's defense remained strong until the 42nd minute, when Svenja Huth scored. The first half ended 0 – 1, Germany.
Germany came out looking much stronger at the start of the second half, while Iceland had trouble keeping possession of the ball or making any goal opportunities for themselves. Svenja Huth then scored a second goal in the 74th minute. The final score was 0 – 2, Germany. The result puts Germany in first place in Group 5, with 18 points, while Iceland falls to second place with 16.
Germany's last group match will be against the Faroe Islands, a game they are expected to win easily. As such, they will almost definitely go straight through to the next round. If Iceland wants a chance at the play-offs, then, they have to win against the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
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