Ecuador 2-1 Germany: South Americans reach knockout stage for first time in two decades | OneFootball

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Gonzalo Plata led Ecuador to the FIFA World Cup knockout stage with a second-half goal against Germany at the New York New Jersey Stadium, giving them a 2-1 win against Group E leaders.

The match exploded into life after just two minutes when Germany’s Leroy Sané clinically slotted a low shot into the bottom corner following a clever pass from Florian Wirtz.

However, Ecuador responded swiftly in the ninth minute when Nilson Angulo latched onto a precise through-ball and calmly slid his effort past an advancing Manuel Neuer.

Despite Germany maintaining an overwhelming possession rate and unleashing twenty-two shots, Gonzalo Plata completed the stunning turnaround in the seventy-seventh minute, flicking a delicate volley into the top corner to secure a first place in the knockouts since 2006.

As it happened

Attacking midfielder Leroy Sané found the bottom-left corner of the net within just two minutes, despite appeals from the Tricolour claiming a high boot from Aleksandar Pavlović on Pedro Vite, the strike was ultimately given.

Ecuador equalised just seven minutes later, as Sunderland forward Nilson Angulo struck a strong shot into the bottom-right corner after Vite capitalised on a heavy touch from the German side, and shot through the legs of Pavlović.

German forward Kai Havertz saw his 25th-minute headed attempt on goal comfortably gathered by David Raúl, with the effort lacking power and Raúl anticipating the direction of the ball.

Ecuadorian goalscorer Angulo attacked in the 32nd minute against just two backtracking German defenders, but his attempted through-ball to Enner Valencia, Ecuador’s all-time leading scorer with 49 goals, was intercepted.

Germany’s National 2024 Player of the Year Jamal Musiala saw his 35th-minute attempt on goal decisively blocked by Joel Ordóñez, who won all of his tackles in the first half.

Piero Hincapié, who completed a permanent transfer to Arsenal today, received a yellow card in the 43rd minute for a blatant shirt pull on Sané, only for a second yellow card to ensue just a minute later when Pavlović was cautioned.

Going into the second half, Germany retained 62% of possession and registered seven shots to Ecuador’s two, but the South American side remained a threat.

Thirty seconds into the second half, Havertz was challenged in the box by Ordóñez, but VAR denied a penalty. The attack stemmed from an unpunished foul on Ecuador’s Vite, which allowed Germany to regain possession and break forward.

German substitute Deniz Undav, who scored twice against Ivory Coast to save Germany, attempted a shot on goal in the 64th minute, but Hernan Galíndez saved what could have been a game-changing goal for Ecuador.

Germany were close to conceding in the 72nd minute as Gonzalo Plata shot the ball just wide of goal after Jonathan Tah and Manuel Neuer clashed, and the ball fell into Ecuadorian hands.

Undav attempted to one-up Ecuador as he shot the ball to Sané’s feet, but the attacking midfielder’s shot landed in the arms of Galíndez.

The breakthrough arrived for Ecuador in the 77th minute when a well-delivered corner found Kevin Rodríguez, whose header fell into the path of Plata, who fired his shot over Neuer, directly into the top right corner.

In a last attempt to keep the score in their favour, goalscorer Plata earned himself a yellow card in the 88th minute for a foul on Musiala as Ecuador held on for a vital three points.

Ecuador analysis: Hydration break sparks victory

Despite Germany striking first, Ecuador quickly adjusted their tactical shape to exploit gaps in the opposition’s defensive lines during transitions.

Increasing their off-the-ball movement and moving into a more aggressive attacking formation increased their threat, and their fluid play helped them work around Germany’s tight backline.

Especially after the second hydration break, you could feel Ecuador’s desire for a second goal.

During the frantic final fifteen minutes, Ecuador looked the much likelier side to score, missing two clear-cut opportunities that should have put the result beyond any doubt.

This result means Ecuador go top of the rankings of best third-placed sides and see them into the knockout stage for the second time in history.

Germany analysis: Nagelsmann’s decision to keep key starters fails to pay off

Despite initial predictions that Julian Nagelsmann would heavily rotate his squad after Germany won Group E, the manager instead chose a surprisingly strong lineup that kept key players like Florian Wirtz and Manuel Neuer on the pitch.

This intent was evident in Germany’s attacking play, which yielded an overwhelming 61 per cent possession rate and 11 shots on target compared to Ecuador’s seven.

Despite the loss, Germany’s group-stage success is cemented as they remain at the top of Group E’s table.

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