EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Gonzalo Plata poked the ball past Manuel Neuer in the 77th minute, and Ecuador advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup by rallying for a 2-1 win over Germany on Thursday.
Germany, who clinched first place in Group E with victories in their first two games, went ahead on Leroy Sané's second-minute goal. Nilson Angulo scored Ecuador's first goal of the tournament in the ninth minute.
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Plata scored after a corner kick was nodded on by Kevin Rodríguez. Neuer, the 40-year-old Germany goalkeeper who came out of international retirement for the World Cup, was about the grasp the ball when Plata raised his left foot and with a toe put the ball into the net.
Ecuador finished third in the group with four points and advanced past the group stage for the second time, the first since a round of 16 game in 2002.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49179704/ecuador-germany-fifa-world-cup-2026-knockout-stage-group-e