Morocco mania and German tears: Moments you may have missed at the WWC

The full range of emotions were on display as Group H came to a dramatic conclusion and two-time champions Germany crashed out

The biggest shock of the Women’s World Cup so far saw Germany crash out at the group stage as Colombia and Morocco advanced at the expense of the two-time champions.

It was a day which saw the full range of emotions, with agony and ecstasy in equal measure across two dramatic matches which concluded Group H.

Here are the moments you may have missed…

Speechless Popp

As an Olympic champion and three-time Champions League winner, Germany skipper Alexandra Popp is not overly used to an early exit.

So much so that she did not have the words to explain how her side failing to reach the knockout stages for the first time ever made her feel.

“To be honest, I can’t comprehend it,” she told BBC Sport.

“I don’t know what I should really say. I can’t really understand what has happened, to be honest. Yeah, no idea.”

The captain had done her best to lead by example against South Korea, hauling her side level after they fell behind to Cho So-hyun’s early opener in Brisbane.

She saw a goal disallowed and headed against the woodwork in the second half but a winner proved elusive, leaving Popp and her side heading for an early plane home.

It may be scant consolation, but Popp will leave the competition in the history books. Her goal saw her match compatriot Heidi Mohr in scoring in eight consecutive major tournaments (World Cup/European Championship).

Morocco mania

There were tears of an altogether more joyous nature in Perth.

Having beaten Colombia 1-0 courtesy of Anissa Lahmari’s bundled finish in first-half stoppage time after a penalty had been saved, Morocco’s players gathered in a huddle to wait for news from Brisbane.

A late German winner would have sent the World Cup debutants home but there was to be no sting in the tail.

Scenes of untold joy followed, players sinking to their knees in disbelief, offering thanks to higher powers and mobbing boss Reynauld Pedros as they continued a remarkable year for the North African nation.

The men’s team became the first African country to make a World Cup semi-final last year and the exploits of Pedros’ side will only serve to further inspire.

Morocco are the only debutants to make the knockout stage, which will include three African teams for the first time.

Rankings reversed

Anyone who based their World Cup predictions on the world rankings will be scratching their heads.

Pedigree has gone out the window down under, with six teams ranked inside the top 20 – Germany, Canada, Brazil, China, Italy and South Korea – heading home.

Their collective demise has opened up opportunities for traditionally less-fancied teams, with South Africa and Morocco – both outside the world’s top 50 – progressing to the knockout stages, along with Jamaica (43 rd ) and Nigeria (40 th ).

Goal difference no guarantee

No team has ever gone out of a group stage with a higher goal difference than Germany.

A 6-0 win over Morocco in their opening game looked all set to put them on their way to the last 16 but the African nation have had the last laugh.

Germany ended with a goal difference of +5 but it wasn’t enough to see them through.