Ecuador beats Germany in World Cup shocker, advances to knockout round

Ecuador needed a win to remain in the tournament. It got exactly that.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Midway through the second half, tied with Germany, its World Cup hopes dwindling, Ecuador lined up for a corner kick. Pedro Vite looped the ball into the box, where Kevin Rodriguez headed the ball onward toward the goal. The legendary German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer seemed well-positioned to catch the ball. But Ecuador’s Gonzalo Plata stuck up his left foot, just in front of Neuer, and poked the ball into the net.

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The crowd let out a deafening roar, and Plata ran to the corner of the field, in front of a sea of yellow-clad fans, where he was mobbed by his teammates, the substitutes leaving the bench to join in, too. On the sideline, Ecuador manager Sebastián Beccacece left his post and ran to the front of the stands, where he reached up and hugged his family.

Watching the scene unfold, one might assume the game was over. It looked like the reaction a team had after a walk-off home run, a March Madness buzzer-beater. But there was still about 20 minutes left to play, including stoppage time. As the clock ticked down, Ecuador fans kept chanting, “Sí se puede! Sí se puede!” Yes, we can! Yes, we can!