A 77th-minute goal from Gonzalo Plata gave Ecuador a 2-1 victory over Germany in East Rutherford, N.J., on Thursday to help the side advance to the round of 32 in dramatic fashion.
Germany (2-1-0, 6 points) had clinched Group E entering the final match and were seeking to keep momentum for their round of 32 match while Ecuador’s path to advancement was simple: win or go home.
Plata provided the winner to enable Ecuador (1-1-1, 4 points) to finish third in the group behind Ivory Coast (2-1-0, 6 points), a 2-0 winner over Curacao on Thursday to tie Germany in points. The Germans won the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Leroy Sane’s controversial goal put Germany ahead in the 2nd minute, but Ecuador scored for the first time in this World Cup in the 9th minute when Nilson Angulo equalized.
Then it became desperation late for Ecuador until Kevin Rodriguez, who entered in the 64th minute, flicked an incoming corner kick in front of the net, where Plata finished with a left-footed toe poke.
After 20 stressful minutes of defending, Ecuador were through to the knockout stage for the first time since 2006.
Germany don’t know which third-place team they will face in their round of 32 match June 29 at Foxborough, Mass., while Ecuador don’t know where, which day or which group winner they will play in their round of 32 match.
The early exchange of goals was a case of revenge, or even karma. Sane scored from the center of the box off an assist by Florian Wirtz, who got the ball after Aleksandar Pavlovic flicked him a pass and in the process kicked Ecuador’s Pedro Vite in the face with a high boot.
Ecuador pleaded for a foul but none was called on the field by American referee Tori Penso and the play never went to VAR.
Nilson tied it with a strike outside the box with a bending ball which went through the legs of Pavlovic after Vite created a turnover to earn an assist.
Ecuador’s first goal of the tournament came on their 40th shot.
Moments into the second half, Germany had a penalty overturned. The initial call was Kai Havertz being tackled by Joel Ordonez but after a review, Penso determined Sane tripped Vite in the German build-up.
Just past the hour mark, Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer punched a line drive on net from Enner Valencia to keep the match even until Plata’s late heroics.
