Waves of yellow jerseys were in tears in New York.
Ecuador entered its Group E finale Thursday needing a win if it wanted to stay alive in the World Cup. Standing in the way? Powerhouse Germany.
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But La Tri pulled it off in a comeback 2-1 win in New York, producing one of the best post-game reactions of the tournament thus far.
It didn’t seem like fortune was on Ecuador’s side at first. Within just the second minute, Florian Wirtz assisted Leroy Sane for a simple finish. Ecuador believed there was a foul in the build up when midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic made clear and high contact on Pedro Vite’s head, but the goal stood.
Ecuador didn’t let that deter the side, however. Seven minutes later, rising young winger Nilson Angulo pulled off a stunning, tight finish from long range.
Ecuador got on the front foot from there and looked the more dominant side, but the lack of threatening shots against Manuel Neuer was evident.
Germany then took control going into halftime and produced another worrying situation for Ecuador early in the second. A penalty was awarded when Joel Ordonez was adjudged to have fouled Kai Havertz in the box, but it was taken back for a Sane foul against Vite in the build up.
Ecuador head coach Sebastián Beccacece made the risky move of taking out captain and starting striker Enner Valencia in the 64th minute, as the 36-year-old just wasn’t creating enough threat. Kevin Rodriguez, a 26-year-old 6-foot-3 striker, came on instead.
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And it was Rodriguez who came up with the decisive assist in the 77th minute.
Off a corner kick, Rodriguez leaped highest to flick the ball towards goal, which starting winger Gonzalo Plata stabbed home over the head of Neuer.
It was a nervy finish for Ecuador, but perhaps no defense is better suited for closing out games than La Tri’s.
Ecuador advanced as the third-place team with four points to its name. It’s Round of 32 opponent is not yet known. La Tri lost 1-0 to Ivory Coast in the opener after conceding a late dagger while Curacao held them to a 0-0 draw in the second game, putting the nation at risk of a shock early exit.
Germany had already won the group coming into the game, while Ivory Coast claimed second.
La Tri only advanced beyond the group stage at the 2006 Germany World Cup, losing in the Round of 16 to England 1-0. If things go their way, a defense led by Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapie, Moises Caicedo, Ordonez and more could live up to their dark horses tag, despite their scoring deficiencies.
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