Germany's Turniermannschaft Spirit Rescues Point Against Ivory Coast

Germany produced a late, nerve-shredding comeback to beat Ivory Coast in a frantic match that had everything, according to The Guardian.

With the game delicately poised in a wide-open finale, Ivory Coast came agonisingly close to snatching a winner of their own when Simon Adingra hesitated rather than shooting first time. Germany made the most of that reprieve when substitute Deniz Undav spun sharply and fired past the goalkeeper to bring visible relief to his side and to the pro-German crowd.

The Guardian notes that Germany had arrived at this tournament with genuine anxieties, including uncertainty in attack and concern over the form of creative players. That they found a way to win anyway speaks to a deep-rooted culture: the Germans call themselves a "turniermannschaft," a team built for tournament football.

It is the first time Germany have reached the knockout stage of a major tournament since they won it all in 2014, making Sunday's result all the more significant.