Germany vs Ecuador, FIFA World Cup match result: Plata’s late strike shocks Germany as Ecuador seals knockout berth |: Football News:

Ecuador shocked the world of football by beating four-time champions Germany, 2-1, to send themselves into the knockout rounds of the World Cup (AP Photo)

A record-breaking crowd witnessed a historic World Cup heist when Ecuador stunned four-time champions Germany 2-1 at MetLife Stadium on Friday, sealing a dramatic place in the knockout stages.In a match that saw a record 80,663 fans pushing the tournament’s total attendance past the 1994 US edition milestone, Gonzalo Plata emerged as the ultimate hero. The winger scored a 77th-minute winner to orchestrate La Tri’s fine escape, booking their first round-of-16 ticket since 2006. The night began to take its toll on Ecuador. Germany hit the front 1 minute and 50 seconds into the game when Leroy Sane fired home his 18th international goal. The build-up caused controversy as Aleksandar Pavlovic appeared to kick Pedro Vite after a throw-in, but American referee Tori Penso waved play on. Pavlovic found Florian Wirtz, who put Sané inside the box. During the fight, Plata even took a painful kick to the head.However, Ecuador refused to back down and came back in the ninth minute. Felix Nmecha lost possession in midfield to Vite, who quickly fed Nilson Angulo. The forward dribbled with intent and beat 40-year-old veteran Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from outside the penalty area to level the scores.The second half began with high drama when referee Penso awarded Germany a penalty 30 seconds after the restart due to Joel Ordonez’s foul on Kai Havertz. However, a VAR review overturned the decision, revealing that Sane had fouled Vite in the build-up.The decisive moment came 13 minutes from time. In a Pedro Vite corner, Kevin Rodriguez nodded the ball in front of the goal. Neuer moved to collect it, but a steady Plata slotted it past the iconic goalkeeper with his left toe, sending coach Sebastián Beccacece running into the stands to celebrate.The win ended Germany’s 11-game winning streak. While Germany still leads Group E with six points, Ecuador finished third with four, guaranteeing a place in the next round.