East Rutherford : Ecuador produced one of the biggest upsets of the FIFA World Cup, fighting back from a goal down to defeat Germany 2-1 and secure a place in the Round of 32 with a memorable victory in their final Group E match on Thursday.
Goals from Nilson Angulo and Gonzalo Plata cancelled out Leroy Sane’s early opener as Ecuador booked their place in the knockout stage for only the second time in their World Cup history. Despite the defeat, Germany progressed as Group E winners and will face one of the best third-placed teams in the Round of 32.
Germany made the perfect start, taking the lead inside two minutes through Leroy Sane, who finished confidently after Florian Wirtz’s clever lay-off. However, the goal sparked controversy as Ecuador appealed for a foul moments earlier when Aleksandar Pavlovic appeared to catch Pedro Vite with a high boot. The referee allowed play to continue, leaving the Ecuador players furious.
The South Americans responded brilliantly just seven minutes later. Sunderland winger Nilson Angulo capitalised on a German mistake after Felix Nmecha lost possession in midfield and fired a powerful low strike from outside the penalty area beyond goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to restore parity.
Germany pressed for another goal before halftime, with Kai Havertz forcing a save from Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez, but the scores remained level heading into the break.
Early in the second half, Germany believed they had earned a penalty after Havertz went down inside the box. However, a VAR review overturned the decision after officials spotted a foul by Leroy Sane in the build-up, much to Ecuador’s relief.
German coach Julian Nagelsmann introduced striker Deniz Undav in search of a winner, but Ecuador continued to threaten on the counterattack. Veteran forward Enner Valencia tested Neuer with a fierce effort before Kevin Rodriguez nearly capitalised on a defensive misunderstanding between Neuer and Jonathan Tah.
Germany squandered a golden chance when Sane failed to beat Galindez in a one-on-one situation, and Ecuador made them pay moments later.
With 13 minutes remaining, Kevin Rodriguez flicked on a corner into the danger area, where Gonzalo Plata reacted quickest to stab home from close range, sending thousands of Ecuadorian supporters inside the stadium into jubilant celebrations.
The dramatic victory ended Germany’s impressive 11-match winning streak and ensured Ecuador progressed to the knockout stage as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Despite the setback, Germany captain Joshua Kimmich remained confident but admitted his side must improve defensively before the knockout rounds.
“We keep inviting the opposition back into the game with our turnovers. We can’t concede one or two goals every match. We have to reduce our mistakes because from now on there is no room for another defeat,” Kimmich said after the match.
Germany will now travel to Foxborough for their Round of 32 clash on Monday, while Ecuador celebrate a historic qualification after one of the most memorable victories in the nation’s football history.
