Germany handily defeated South Africa 4-0 in their match in Montpellier on June 17th. The stands were filled with 15,000 attendees, largely made up by German fans.

The game started with a German goal from Melanie Leupolz in the 14th minute, a goal which seemed to clearly indicate the way this match would play out. The Germans relentlessly pursued the net and ended the first half 3-0.

Germany played a classic game but were unexciting and uninspiring, particularly against a side that hardly matched their talent. They failed to finish numerous goal opportunities and were tedious in their passing. They displayed no creativity, no imagination and no passion. The final scoreline of the match was hardly indicative of the skill level shown but rather of the unbalanced experience between two teams.

The South Africans fought hard to keep themselves in the game, using the little time they had on the ball to match the German style. Strategically, it may have been more effective to use a breakaway strategy of sending long balls down the pitch towards fast players. This strategy is often employed by weaker teams facing strong competitors; however, the South African effort to play good soccer will benefit the strength of their team in the long run.

With a goal early in the second half, Germany ended the match 4-0 and clinched the top spot in group B. They will advance to the round of 16 where they will face the third ranked team from group A, C or D.

South Africa may not have won but they certainly won over the fans at the match with endearing performances from captain Janine Van Wyk and goalkeeper Andile Dlamini, who carried the South African team. It seemed the underwhelming performance from an overrated German side left many fans in search of new favorites.

Frequently ranked alongside France and the United States, Germany is considered one of the top three teams in the world. But with narrow margins of victory over both China and Spain (1-0 in both matches) and a weak overall performance against South Africa, Germany has left a lot to be desired.