Nilson Angulo celebrates his equalizer against Germany in Ecuador's victory during the 2026 World Cup group stage match at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States on 25/6/2026. *Photo: Reuters*

A crowd of 80,663 fans gathered at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, the venue for the 2026 World Cup final on 19/7, filling almost 98% of its capacity. The stadium was dominated by the yellow colors of Ecuador, with an estimated 50,000 supporters. New Jersey is home to the second-largest Ecuadorian population in the United States, making MetLife feel like a home ground for their must-win match against Germany.

With only one point from their first two matches, Ecuador's final group stage game had a clear objective: victory. Additionally, they needed Curacao not to defeat Cote d'Ivoire by six goals or more in the concurrent match, a scenario that was not a major concern.

Leroy Sane (top) celebrates his goal with teammates during the Ecuador – Germany 2026 World Cup group stage match at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States on 25/6/2026. *Photo: Reuters*

Sebastian Beccacece's players believed in this, as chants of "Si se puede" (Yes, we can) echoed throughout the stands. This belief in playing on equal terms against top teams had been ingrained in the squad under the Argentine strategist since the South American qualifiers. He discarded the notion of relying on the high-altitude stadiums that had previously been an advantage for Ecuador. Beccacece once stated, "We no longer need that advantage".

That belief was quickly dampened. Die Mannschaft, with Julian Nagelsmann seemingly challenging German public opinion by making only two changes (Antonio Rudiger and David Raum starting), scored against Ecuador in just 109 seconds. Florian Wirtz assisted Leroy Sane just outside the penalty area, and the forward calmly finished past Hernan Galindez, scoring his first goal of the 2026 World Cup. However, the goal drew strong reactions. Midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic had raised his foot high in a prior challenge, and Pedro Vite appealed for a dangerous play foul, but American referee Tori Penso did not agree.

However, it took "La Tri" only 7 minutes to reignite their hopes, leveling the score. Germany failed to break out of a press for a counter-attack when Felix Nmecha couldn't control the second ball cleanly. Ecuador regained possession, and Angulo confidently fired a powerful shot between Pavlovic's legs, beating Manuel Neuer from nearly 20 meters. The 23-year-old winger ended Ecuador's 242-minute goal drought at the 2026 World Cup. They had been waiting patiently after 40 attempts on goal.

Despite playing somewhat disjointedly, Germany created a few more dangerous chances in the first half, such as Kai Havertz's close-range header directly at goalkeeper Galindez, or Jamal Musiala's shot blocked by center-back Joel Ordonez.

In the first minute of the second half, Ordonez nearly became a villain when he fouled Havertz in the penalty area. However, after consulting VAR, the referee overturned the decision, ruling that Sane had fouled Vite earlier in midfield.

Having narrowly escaped danger, Ecuador began to surge forward. While their defense was a strength in the qualifiers, against Germany, "La Tri's" midfield played as if it were their last game. Moises Caicedo is well-known, but the 90 minutes at MetLife highlighted Vite, who recovered the ball and assisted Angulo's equalizer in the first half.

Kai Havertz (right) is fouled in the penalty area, leading to an initial penalty decision by the referee, which was later overturned due to an earlier foul by Germany, during the Ecuador – Germany 2026 World Cup group stage match at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States on 25/6/2026. *Photo: Reuters*

Not only did Vite share the midfield burden with Caicedo, but he also took the "driver's seat," doing almost everything with his technical skill and mobility, especially in clearing and defensive support. No other player was as energetic as the 24-year-old midfielder, with 21 defensive actions (including tackles, interceptions, recoveries, clearances, blocks) – the most on the field. Vite was truly Ecuador's engine.

The turning point for the South American side came in the 64th minute when Coach Beccacece substituted Enner Valencia, who had tested Neuer with a powerful long-range shot, for Kevin Rodriguez.

Gonzalo Plata (left) celebrates his goal during the Ecuador – Germany 2026 World Cup group stage match at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, United States on 25/6/2026. *Photo: AP*

Just 12 minutes before full-time, Rodriguez played a decisive role in completing Ecuador's comeback, heading a corner kick to Plata, who bravely surged past Neuer to tap the ball into the roof of the net from close range.

Creating upsets against big teams is not new for Ecuador. This is the same squad that impressively finished second in the South American qualifiers, despite a three-point deduction at the start of the campaign in 9/2023.

Now, "La Tri" has squeezed through a narrow opening, confidently advancing to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. This marks only the second time in the nation's football history they have achieved this, exactly 20 years after their first group stage progression.

Hoang Thong