Germany hit Curacao for seven to open their World Cup
Al Jazeera • • sports
Key Points:
- Germany secured their first World Cup opening match win since 2014 by defeating debutants Curacao 7-1 in their Group E match held in Houston, Texas.
- Felix Nmecha opened the scoring early for Germany, and despite a deflected equalizer from Curacao's Livano Comenencia, Germany pulled away with goals from Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (two), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, and Deniz Undav.
- The victory puts Germany in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages for the first time since their 2014 World Cup win, with tougher matches ahead against Ecuador and Ivory Coast.
- Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, playing his fifth World Cup at age 40, had little to do except witness Curacao's brief equalizer, while Germany's coach Julian Nagelsmann celebrated the early goal enthusiastically.
- Germany matched their famous 7-1 scoreline from the 2014 World Cup semifinals, demonstrating a dominant performance against the Caribbean newcomers.
