Ecuador continued their World Cup journey as Gonzalo Plata’s decisive goal secured a remarkable 2-1 comeback win against Germany, allowing them to advance to the last 32 on Thursday.
Leroy Sane controversially put Germany in the lead less than two minutes into the Group E match, but Ecuador responded with a superb goal from Sunderland’s Nilson Angulo.
Plata then tapped in from a short distance 13 minutes before the end, igniting exuberant celebrations among a predominantly Ecuadorian audience in New Jersey as the South Americans guaranteed their spot as one of the eight best third-placed squads.
Germany will head to Foxborough for their last-32 match against another team that finished third on Monday, marking their first World Cup knockout game since winning the trophy in 2014.
Julian Nagelsmann implemented two changes due to injuries, with Antonio Rudiger stepping in for Nico Schlotterbeck after the Borussia Dortmund player was sidelined from the World Cup because of ankle ligament damage.
David Raum replaced Nathaniel Brown at left-back, but Nagelsmann decided against starting Deniz Undav, despite his impressive performance off the bench against Ivory Coast, where he netted both goals in the 2-1 victory.
Germany, having already secured the top position in the group, gained the lead in a way that infuriated an Ecuador team battling to remain in the tournament after earning only one point from their initial two matches.
Sane fired in a first-time effort from Florian Wirtz’s setup in the box, but Ecuador furiously argued that a foul should have been called earlier in the play when Aleksandar Pavlovic struck Pedro Vite in the head with a high boot.
The choice to uphold the goal ignited an intense response from Ecuador, who equalized seven minutes afterward when Angulo struck low past Manuel Neuer from 20 yards after Felix Nmecha lost the ball in his own half.
Kai Havertz challenged Hernan Galindez with a header and then believed he had earned a penalty just 30 seconds after half-time when Joel Ordonez brought down the Arsenal forward in the area.
VAR stepped in during this instance, much to Ecuador’s clear relief, and the penalty was rescinded following a foul by Sane on Vite in the lead-up.
Nagelsmann called on Undav at the hour mark, Germany’s super-sub who had scored three goals in the tournament, but Ecuador realized they needed to take risks.
Enner Valencia’s strong attempt was deflected by Neuer, while a defensive error almost created an opportunity for Ecuador.
A mix-up between Neuer and Jonathan Tah nearly allowed Kevin Rodriguez to slip in, and Plata directed his shot wide from the subsequent cross sent in by Moises Caicedo.
Sane had a brilliant opportunity to restore Germany’s lead but hit a weak shot at Galindez, and Ecuador capitalized on that chance as Plata came to the aid.
Rodriguez delivered a corner, and Plata lunged in to score directly in front of Neuer, halting Germany’s 11-match winning streak and securing Ecuador’s advancement to the knockout stage for just the second time, stirring tears of joy among their supporters in the stands.
