For 88 minutes Ecuador had to live with a brutal piece of irony: they finally found their attacking spark at this World Cup, and yet it was Germany who struck first. Leroy Sané needed barely two minutes at MetLife Stadium to roll a low finish beyond Hernán Galíndez, teeing up what looked like a routine afternoon for the group winners. Instead, Sebastián Beccacece's side produced the comeback of their tournament, beating Germany 2-1 to secure passage to the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
The equalizer arrived inside the opening 10 minutes and carried a release of pent-up frustration. Pedro Vite robbed possession deep in German territory and slipped the ball to Nilson Angulo, who took a beat in space before curling a shot from distance through Aleksandar Pavlović's legs and past Manuel Neuer. The strike was Ecuador's first goal of the entire World Cup — and it came on their 40th attempt of the competition.
