Center-back Antonio Rudiger ran high steps to mock Takuma Asano, but in the end it was the Japanese striker who scored Germany’s 2-1 goal in the 2022 World Cup, on the evening of November 23.
In the 64th minute, when Germany led 1-0, Japan passed the ball along the right for Takuma Asano to race with Rudiger. Due to no starting advantage, the Japanese striker let Rudiger jump ahead. Real Madrid’s central defender also acted to provoke the opponent by running high to wait for the ball to go all the way, and Asano did not react.
The run poked fun at Rudiger’s opponent (right) during the defeat to Japan at Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan city, Qatar on November 23. Image: Screen capture
But in the 83rd minute, it was Asano who used his speed to pass defender Nico Schlotterbeck and then shot from a narrow angle to knock down goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, setting a 2-1 victory for Japan. Eight minutes earlier, midfielder Ritsu Doan equalized with a close-range kick.
Rudiger’s mocking act was immediately criticized in the media. Former German midfielder Dietmar Hamann said on the radio Sky: “It’s a sign of Germany’s lack of professionalism and arrogance. He disrespected Asano because he couldn’t catch the ball. Rudiger laughed after the ball, but after this game, only Japan can. can smile.”
Above Twitter, many people are also not satisfied with the actions of the 29-year-old midfielder. An account named Moby wrote: “He mocked the Japanese player in a shameful way, but in the end it was Japan who left with a smile.” Ekene Ekene fan wrote: “It is interesting that this Japanese player scores the decisive goal.” And @kanjiro1922 said: “It was Rudiger’s contemptuous actions that caused Germany to fail”.
Many fans believe that this is not the first time Rudiger runs like that to provoke his opponent. One Real Madrid fan commented: “I’ve seen Rudiger do the same thing in important Real matches. I don’t understand why he does it, because that kind of running doesn’t bring any advantage.”
Rudiger once explained that every time he runs like that, it is to “stir up the audience’s atmosphere”. He also did the same while playing for Chelsea, as in the match against Newcastle in March 2022. At that time, the British newspaper Daily Star described the German centre-back as running “Forrest Gump style”.
Germany will be eliminated from the 2022 World Cup if it loses to Spain in the second round, while Costa Rica does not win against Japan. It will be the third time in history, and the second time in a row, that Germany has failed to make it past the first round of the World Cup.
Hoang An
