Ecuador wrote one of the most memorable chapters in its World Cup history. La Tri defeated Germany 2-1 in New Jersey, secured its spot in the Round of 32 as one of the best third-place finishers in the tournament, and became the first South American team to defeat the four-time world champion in the group stage.
Just when the outlook seemed bleak after a scoreless start to the tournament and just one point in two matches, the team led by Sebastián Beccacece responded with grit to turn the score around and stay alive in the World Cup.
Germany struck just two minutes in thanks to Leroy Sané, who finished off a play that began with a controversial incident in which Aleksandar Pavlović kicked Pedro Vite in the face, yet referee Tori Penso did not call a foul, nor did VAR intervene. Despite the rough start, Ecuador didn’t lose its composure and quickly found its footing.
Nilson Angulo equalized in the ninth minute with a powerful shot across the goal from outside the box, ending a 242-minute scoring drought for the Ecuadorian national team in the tournament. From that moment on, La Tri played much more solidly, led by strong performances from John Yeboah, Pedro Vite, and Moisés Caicedo.
The Big Moment for Ecuador
The reward came in the 71st minute. On a corner kick taken by Caicedo, Kevin Rodríguez flicked the ball on, and Gonzalo Plata appeared in front of Manuel Neuer to slot it in with his left foot before the veteran goalkeeper could get a hand on it. The goal sparked Ecuadorian celebrations and sealed a historic victory.
The win allowed Ecuador to advance to the knockout stage for the second time in a World Cup, a feat they had not achieved since Germany 2006, keeping alive the hopes of a generation that entered the tournament buoyed by its strong performance in the South American qualifiers and the quality of players such as Caicedo, Willian Pacho, and Piero Hincapié.
Ivory Coast Advance to the Knockout Stage
In the other Group E match, Ivory Coast defeated Curaçao 2-0 and also secured its spot in the knockout stage, advancing past the group stage of a World Cup for the first time. The Ivorians finished with six points and will face the second-place team from Group I on June 30, while Curaçao was eliminated and not able to become the smallest nation to reach the knockout stage.
Germany, despite its unexpected defeat against Ecuador, also advanced to the next round. However, the loss will go down as one of the biggest surprises of the tournament and as the night when La Tri took down one of the giants of world football to keep their dreams alive.
