This Saturday, Germany won its first under-17 world title by beating France on penalties (4-3), who returned to the final six minutes from time (2-2), after the German team was down to ten players.

The final at the Manahan Stadium in Surakarta was a repeat of the European Championship played six months ago in Budapest and, like that, was again decided on penalties in favor of the team led by Christian Wuck, who had previously eliminated Spain from the title race in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Argentina, also on penalties.

The new champions were getting better in the match in which their shooter Paris Brunner opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a penalty in which he perfectly deceived the French goalkeeper Paul Argney.

VAR informed the referee to review the foul committed on Bilal Yalcinkaya, much protested by the German players, and showed the maximum penalty which the Borussia Dortmund player did not forgive as he did later in stoppage time.

Germany’s advantage increased after the break when Noah Darvich, almost without a step, beat Argney again (min 51) and the action seemed to wake up France, who two minutes later kept the finish alive with Simon Bouabre’s shot from the right, confirmed as a goal after VAR review.

An upset of Jean-Luc Vannuchi’s eleven, present in the final after beating Mali in the semi-final and Uzbekistan in the quarter-final, saw Winners Osawe sent off for a double yellow. Germany played the last 20 minutes with a man less, which France took advantage of to equalize 6 minutes before the end with an irresponsible shot by Mathis Amaougou after an excellent service by Tidiam Gomis.

Paris Brunner and Max Moersted’s last-ditch efforts to surprise Argney were the last actions in a game that had to be decided on penalties, in which luck was on Germany’s side and left France unable to celebrate the title they had already won in 2001.

Robert Ramsak, Max Moerstedt, Fayssal Harchaoui and Almugera Kabar scored for Germany, before Eric da Silva Moreira and Paris Brunner missed. Joachim Kayi Sanda, Ismael Bouneb and Joan Tincres scored for France, while Nhoa Sangui and Bastien Meupiyou were kept scoreless. (D)