The end of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup group stages will come to its conclusion on Thursday, as Korea face Germany on matchday three. At the moment, Korea are bottom of Group H after failing to win their games against Colombia and Morocco, but still are not technically out of the running for a round of 16 spot.
Of course, progression for the struggling Asian side is highly unlikely, as not only will they need to beat Germany by a resounding margin, but also will have to hope that debutant side Morocco, who defeated them 1-0 on matchday two, don't pick up at least a point from their upcoming showdown against Colombia. Certainly, when the groups were announced, the vast majority of people expected Germany to be the ones comfortably on top of Group H while Morocco, Colombia, and Korea all would be involved in a scrap for second spot.
Well, that's not how things have turned out. Korea are now seeking not just their first win, but their first goal of this tournament. Meanwhile, Germany will need to shake off their shock 2-1 loss to Colombia last time out, with Linda Caciedo playing a key part as the South American side defeated the number two side in women's football. As a result, the DFB-Frauen are facing the slight possibility of not even getting out of their group - a real surprising fact considering that they are the second-most successful team in the Women's World Cup with two titles to their name.
Germany, however, haven't been at their very best so far this year. Prior to the competition, the European heavyweights were beaten 2-1 by debutant side Zambia in a friendly, and had to work much harder than expected to secure a 2-1 victory over Vietnam, who also made their debut at this summer's tournament. In fact, of their five friendlies played before the World Cup, Germany won just two (against Vietnam and the Netherlands), while losing to both Brazil and Zambia and drawing Sweden.
As such, there are some concerns about this German side as to whether they have what it takes to make a deep run at this summer's World Cup. That being said, England, who also started off slowly, ended their group stage with a bang by crushing China 6-1, while Norway, who also had a sluggish start, cruised to a 6-0 win over the Philippines to secure their spot in the round of 16. Germany have already had a high-scoring match as they overpowered debutants Morocco 6-0 on matchday one, so it will be very interesting to see what version come out in this must-win tie against Korea on Thursday.
Match facts: Korea vs Germany
- Prior to their loss to Colombia, Germany had gone 20 games unbeaten in the World Cup group stages since losing 3-2 to Sweden in 1995
- South Korea have lost their last six games at the Women's World Cup since beating Spain back in 2015
Team news: Korea vs Germany
Korea: Lim Seon-joo is anticipated to miss this match due to an injury that kept her out during her team's loss to Morocco, while Choe Yu-ri could return after missing the Morocco tie.
Germany: Both Sara Doorsoun-Khajeh and Felicitas Rauch are expected to miss this game, but Marina Hegering could feature in some capacity after missing the first two games due to an injury.
Broadcast info: Korea vs Germany
How can I watch Korea vs Germany live?
USA: Korea vs Germany kicks off at 6 AM EST (3 AM PST) for fans hoping to watch this game live. As always, there are plenty of choices for viewers to follow all the action from the first to the final whistle.
These options include catching the game on TV via Fox Sports 1, while FOX Sports App provides an on-the-go choice and the match can also be streamed via Foxsports.com or Peacock.
For Spanish-speakers, they can check out Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, UNIVERSO, and UNIVERSO NOW.
In addition, FuboTV and Sling TV offer additional live-streaming services, with Fox Sports 1 available on both FuboTV and Sling TV, while Spanish-speakers also will find their channels available on FuboTV.
Germany: For fans in Germany, ZDF will be showing this crunch clash.
Korea: Viewers in Korea can choose from either MBC Korea, KBS2 Korea, or SBS Korea for this upcoming match.
Live elsewhere? Here's where you can catch Korea vs Germany live from wherever you are based:
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
