The German side gets off to a fortunate start. In the second minute, a throw-in from Raum finds its way via Pavlovic and Wirtz to Sané, who fires into the bottom left corner. For most observers, though, it is an illegal goal, as Pavlović raises his leg very high when controlling the ball and catches his opponent, Pedro Vite, on the head. While Vite lies on the ground in obvious pain, the referee, Tori Penso of the USA, allows the goal to stand.
In the ninth minute, Ecuador’s Nilson Angulo equalises after Germany gave the ball away in their own half. A 1–1 scoreline at the break is a fair reflection of the game.
