Ecuador shock Germany, seal spot in World Cup knockout stage
ESPN • • sports
Key Points:
- Ecuador secured a 2-1 victory over Germany in the World Cup group stage, with Gonzalo Plata scoring the decisive goal in the 77th minute to help Ecuador advance to the knockout rounds.
- Germany took an early lead through Leroy Sané's goal in the second minute, but Ecuador quickly equalized with Nilson Angulo's first World Cup goal in the ninth minute.
- Ecuador finished third in Group E with four points and will advance as one of the best third-place teams, marking their first World Cup knockout appearance since 2006.
- Germany's 11-game winning streak ended, and they will face a round-of-32 opponent likely to be Paraguay, Australia, or Sweden; goalkeeper Manuel Neuer conceded four goals while making only three saves in the tournament.
- The match at MetLife Stadium set a new World Cup attendance record with 80,663 spectators, contributing to a tournament total surpassing the 1994 U.S. World Cup record.
