Germany Beats the Hosts as Korea DPR Rolls On in Morocco

Germany took control of Group A at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup on Tuesday, beating the hosts, Morocco, 4-2 at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Salé. It was Germany's second win in two matches, built on four goals in a 23-minute spell either side of halftime, and it guarantees the Germans a place in the round of 16 with a match to spare.

Morocco arrived on a high after opening the tournament with a 4-0 win over New Zealand, but Germany took the game away before the break. Marie Kleemann scored in the 27th minute and Lena Martens doubled the lead seven minutes later. Clara Choisy added a third in first-half stoppage time, and Mia Giesen converted a penalty five minutes after the restart to make it 4-0. Morocco refused to fold. The hosts pulled two goals back in the second half, the second a stoppage-time penalty from Nessma Mouradi, and those goals matter: they keep Morocco second in the group, ahead of Argentina on goal difference.