İlkay Gündoğan scored Germany’s first goal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, converting a penalty in the 33rd minute vs. Japan on Wednesday. After a frantic few seconds inside the box, Japan goalkeeper Shūichi Gonda fouled midfielder David Raum.
Then Manchester City man Gündoğan stepped up and confidently hammered the penalty home, giving Germany a 1-0 lead heading into the half.
While many referee calls can be debatable, this seemed like a clear cut penalty without much argument.
Man City and others praised the 32-year-old midfielder’s goal on Twitter. Gündoğan has had a strong half as his team looks to bounce back from 2018 when they finished last in their group in a failed attempt to defend their 2014 World Cup championship.
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