EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Ecuador advanced to the World Cup round of 32 on Thursday, driven by a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Germany, highlighted by Gonzalo Plata’s goal in the 77th minute, which ignited jubilant celebrations at MetLife Stadium.
Coached by Sebastián Beccacece, Ecuador needed a win to avoid a disappointing exit after suffering a loss to Ivory Coast and a draw with Curaçao in their initial Group E matches. They fell behind early as Leroy Sané netted the opener just two minutes into the game.
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Ecuador argued that the goal should have been disallowed due to a high boot from Aleksandar Pavlovic on Pedro Vite, but VAR did not intervene. Ecuador found their footing as Nilson Angulo equalized just nine minutes later, before Plata sealed the comeback by poking the ball in from a flick-on off a corner by substitute Kevin Rodríguez.
In a sea of yellow shirts, drinks were tossed into the air as substitutes stormed the pitch to celebrate Ecuador’s hard-fought win, which they secured with a tense final 13 minutes in front of an 80,663-strong crowd.
“Today, we’ve set a record with three full stadiums packed with Ecuadorian fans,” Beccacece shared during the post-match press conference. “We must enjoy this journey. Struggles are a part of it, but unity is key.”
Argentinian-born Beccacece, leading Ecuador into the knockout stage for just the second time, faced criticism following a sluggish start in the tournament. “I apologize to those who haven’t warmed up to me yet,” he noted. “I feel immense gratitude towards the wonderful Ecuadorian people who have always believed in their team.”
“While we are still in this, we’ll continue to seek the light. If we find it, we’ll celebrate. If not, we’ll bear the pain of not achieving our dreams,” he added. “But now an entire country is celebrating. Let them enjoy, have a beer, and celebrate with family.”
This victory marks Ecuador’s first win over a UEFA team since 2013. Although they finished third in Group E, behind Germany and Ivory Coast, they are assured a spot among the top eight third-placed teams in the tournament.
“Life is different now. We suffered a lot in the earlier matches,” said Plata, who scored his ninth international goal. “We wish we could have secured qualification earlier, but now we’re more determined, knowing we must give our all.”
The attendance for this 56th World Cup match set a new overall record of 3,605,357, surpassing the previous high from the 52 matches of the 1994 tournament in the U.S.
With the score tied at 1-1, referee Tori Penso initially awarded Germany a penalty kick just 30 seconds into the second half after Joel Ordóñez fouled Kai Havertz. However, the decision was reversed after VAR intervention revealed Sané had fouled Vite first.
Germany’s 11-game winning streak came to an end, just one shy of the team record set in 1979-80. “The difference today was that the opponent wanted it more than we did, especially in the second half,” Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich stated.
Contributions from the Associated Press and ESPN Research informed this report.