Singapore was incredibly close to writing history by being the first Asian team to make it to the WFC quarterfinals but two devastating German goals shattered the dreams with just mere minutes to play.
Singapore impressed during the group stage by setting aside all of their opponents but everybody knew Germany would be a different kind of opponent. However, Germany was unable to deliver on its position as a favorite. This was partly due to the high pressure that Singapore exerted in their defensive play forcing many errors in the German build-up play. This resulted in numerous dangerous situations, where shots on goal followed each other in rapid succession.
At first it seemed that Germany was playing a fairly easy game, thanks to an early 3-1 lead after one period of play. Amanda Yeap, Singapore MVP, however, made the 2-3 after 17 seconds in the second period, which marked the start of a very exciting game sequel. The equalizer fell five minutes later but was followed by two fast German goals after half an hour of play. With a bit of luck, Singapore then forced an own goal, with the ball flying in via a German stick. The equalizer even fell 5 seconds before the break with a nicely placed shot by Jerelee Ong.
Nailbiters among you would have done well to skip the final period of this game. In a very exciting period, it was Singapore that set one foot in the quarterfinals after a shot by Jowie Tan found the net. The German equalizer fell shortly afterward after Kisa Reck gratefully capitalized a rebound. In the end, it was Anna-Lena Best who put an end to the Singaporean dream in a counter with less than 1 minute to play, by outplaying Fariza Zabir with the backhand. The game ended with 7-6 and many Singaporean tears.
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