World Cup 2018: Toni Kroos Admits Early Exit Is What Germany Deserved

Local Editor

From Toni Kroos there was no attempt to downplay the significance of Germany's exit from the World Cup, nor any attempt to deflect the blame. Admirably straight-talking when things were going well, he was also admirably straight-talking now they have gone badly.

"In the end we did not do enough," the midfielder said. "To be honest, if we can't score a goal in 90 minutes against South Korea then we don't deserve to go through. We got what we deserved. We were not unlucky. It is not down to bad luck."

Kroos had seemed to embody German resilience in their second group game against Sweden, making the mistake that led to Ola Toivonen's goal but then whipping home the brilliant injury-time winner. Neither he nor any of his teammates could find similar inspiration in a strangely flat performance against South Korea.

"I think we tried our best, it wasn't a lack of that," Kroos said. "We tried everything to play football but we just couldn't get going. It makes life much easier if you score an early goal but in all three games we have been chasing it, we have been behind on the score line. That always makes it more difficult. We are very sad and we were also very angry but that helps nothing now."

This is the first time Germany have failed to make it beyond the first round of the World Cup since 1938 and Joachim Löw, who has been in charge for 12 years, has refused to confirm he will stay on for the two years that remain on his contract.

"I don't know if is the darkest moment for German football but it is definitely a very black one," Kroos said. "I don't think any of us expected this at all. Clearly we expected this to be a long tournament for us. But what I can and will say is that after three games we weren't able to play our best at any stage of it in any of them."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team