.By

Eniola Olatunji 

The German Machine on Thursday night at Bogota wrecked Argentina by 5-1 in the 2024 world U20 female football competition in Columbia.

German machines looked ready to devour the Argentines with a 4-1 score board at half time. Sophie Nachtigall had gotten a brace at the 24th and 37th minutes but Janzen Luise had opened scoring in the 6th minute before Loreen Bender got the German 3rd goal in the 26th minute. Thank God for VAR that rejected a German penalty at 45+2 minute it would have been 5 goals but Lombardi Larrere pulled one  back for Argentina at 43rd minute.

Cora Zicai scored the 5th goal for Germany in the 69th minute to set up a quarterfinal date with USA on the 16th of September at Cali at 0200 hours.
 
Germany had whipped Venezuela 5-2; drilled Nigeria 3-1 and lost to Korea by a lone goal at the group stages. In the August 2022 she beat New Zealand 3-0 and lost to Mexico by a lone goal. Earlier Germany lost to Columbia by a lone goal and also lost to Japan 1-3. 

Germany won in 2004, 2010 and 2014 with Silver in 2012 and Bronze in 2002 and 2008.

Argentina lost 2-6 to North Korea; drew 3-3 with Netherlands and piped Costa Rica by a lone goal at the group stages. Some of the matches Argentina played earlier include 2-2 draw with Venezuela; played 1-1 draw with Columbia; bashed Peru 5-0; lost to Paraguay 0-2 and also lost to Brazil 0-2.

Argentina appeared four times at the games but all was at the group stages in 2006, 2008 and 2012 except the advancement in Columbia.

In the other Round of 16 match played at Madellin under the watchful eyes of Ref Dione Rissios of Italy, North Korea damaged Austria with a 5-2 bashing in a night that Nigeria’s Nicole Ojukwu betrayed the Austrians with a red card.

Austria’s Nicole Ojukwu became a Bad Girl with a red card after a yellow in the 29th minute when Hyang Sin refused to sin no more with goal drought scoring a brace in the 3rd and 37th minutes.

Ojukwu had put on Valentina Madi to equalize at the 11th minute before her red card. A penalty chance to North Korea was turned down by VAR in the 19th minute.

Chae came like a wind to find Kang-Mi Kim who scored the 3rd for North Korea in the 53rd minute which VAR approved in the 56th minute. Hong Ryon Han of North Korea scored an own goal in the 63rd minute for Austria to record her 2nd goal.

That error gingered the North Koreans to go for more goals as Kim put on Un-Yong Chae to score the 4th goal at the 74th minute. She had a goal scored against Costa Rica. Then Mi Ryong Pak topped it up in the 90+2 minutes for North Korea’s 5th goal.

So the North Koreans will face the Samba girls of Brazil on 15th September at 2030 hours at Medellin.

The Falconets have a difficult task to dismantle the high tech Japanese team on Friday 13th September at 0200 hours at Medellin while two European nations France and Netherlands will clash at the same time at Medellin to conclude the Round of 16 matches.   

Here is the quarterfinal pairing: 
1. USA versus German winner at Cali on 16th Monday September at 0200 hours.

2. Brazil versus North Korea winner on 15th September at Medellin at 2030 Hours.

3. Spain versus Nigeria/Japan winner at Medellin on Monday 16th September at midnight.

4. Columbia versus France/Netherlands winner on 15th September at Cali at 2030 hours.