Ecuador earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over Germany at MetLife Stadium, with Gonzalo Plata delivering the decisive moment in the 77th minute. Germany struck first through Leroy Sané, but Ecuador stayed in the game and turned the game around with a strong second-half response. The result gave Ecuador a huge boost in the World Cup race.
Both sides came with pressure, and Germany looked set to impose their tempo early on. However, Ecuador showed enough edge in transition to keep the game alive, and the opening goal did not decide the game. With both teams chasing points, the game quickly turned into a battle of pace, pressure and patience.
Germany needed just two minutes to open the scoring when Florian Wirtz slipped a pass to Sané, who finished clean from distance. Ecuador responded in the 9th minute, when Pedro Vite found Nilson Angulo, and the winger headed home the equaliser. The first half also brought tension, with Piero Hincapié booked in the 43rd minute and Aleksandar Pavlović following a minute later before being replaced by Angelo Stiller at half-time.
The second half brought more twists and turns. In the 47th minute, VAR disallowed a penalty for Kai Havertz, and this was a key turning point for Germany. Ecuador then adjusted with changes, including Kevin Rodríguez and Angelo Preciado in the 64th minute, while Germany introduced Deniz Undav, Malick Thiaw and later Pascal Groß, but the hosts continued to find openings.
The numbers showed a close contest despite Germany having 61% possession and 11 shots to Ecuador’s seven. Both teams managed three shots on goal, but Ecuador goalkeeper H. Galíndez made two saves and Germany’s Manuel Neuer just one, while Ecuador also took more corners and committed more fouls. Gonzalo Plata’s late finish, set up by Kevin Rodríguez, gave Ecuador the lead after a disciplined but combative display.
For Germany, the defeat will sting after they created more of the ball and pushed Ecuador back for long periods. Meanwhile, Ecuador leave MetLife Stadium with an outstanding result and real momentum heading into their next World Cup game. The comeback win should reinforce the belief that they can compete with elite opposition on the biggest stage.
