TORONTO, Canada, Jun 26 – Ecuador reached the World Cup knockout stage in dramatic fashion as they came from behind to beat Germany in New Jersey and set up a potential meeting with England.
They had not scored a goal in their first two games, a draw with Curacao and a defeat by Ivory Coast, but finally showed the talent they possess as they took advantage of a lacklustre display from Germany, who had already topped Group E.
Germany made the perfect start after only two minutes when Leroy Sane picked up Florian Wirtz’s clever pass in the area to fire a clinical finish beyond Ecuador keeper Hernan Galindez.
Ecuador were furious, convinced they should have been awarded a foul for Alexandar Pavlovic’s high boot on Pedro Vite, but their protests were ignored.
Fuelled by that injustice, and by their masses of yellow-clad supporters, Ecuador responded with intensity and were level seven minutes later when Sunderland’s Nilson Angulo sent a low drive past Manuel Neuer.
Ecuador continued to press in the second half and were rewarded 13 minutes from time when Gonzalo Plata reacted quicker than Neuer at a corner to send their fans wild with delight.
The result is bad news for Scotland as it reduces their chances of qualifying as one of the best third-placed finishers.
World Cup analysis: Ecuador finally turn up
The wild scenes of celebration on and off the pitch inside the stadium summed up the drama of how Ecuador recovered from the worst possible start to reach the World Cup’s last 32.
They had lacked firepower in their first two games, failing to score, but a team containing talents such as Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo always had the capacity to produce more.
And so it proved as they shrugged off conceding a goal to Sane inside two minutes to produce a vibrant performance to match the mood of their magnificent supporters.
Angulo was a constant menace and deserved his goal, as well as the man-of-the-match award, while they produced some superb last-ditch defending in the closing stages with the stadium filled with nerves and tension.
The scenes inside this vast arena when Plata put Ecuador ahead will live long in the memory.
Germany, in contrast, were sluggish, perhaps understandably as they were safe in the knowledge they were through to the last 32 irrespective of the outcome.
If Ecuador can reproduce this form when it comes to the one-off games, backed by the noise and passion of their followers, they have the ability to pose a serious threat.
