Ecuador clip Germany 2-1 to advance

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (AP):

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 yesterday.

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.

Plata, who took a kick to the head when Germany scored their early goal, keyed Ecuador’s great escape after Pedro Vite’s 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 to grasp the ball when Plata raised his left foot and with a toe put the ball into the net.

  Ecuador coach Sebastián Beccacece ran to the stands to celebrate.

  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 2006.

  Germany’s winning streak was stopped at 11 games, one shy of the team record set in 1979-80. The four-time champions will play their round of 32 game Monday at Foxborough, Massachusetts, most likely against Paraguay, Australia or Sweden.

   Sane put Germany ahead about one minute, 50 seconds in with his 18th international goal. Aleksandar Pavlovic had chested the ball and kicked Vite following Nathaniel Brown’s throw-in but there was no foul call by American referee Tori Penso. Pavlovic passed to Florian Wirtz, who centred to Sané just inside the penalty area.

Angulo scored a short time later after Felix Nmecha lost the ball in midfield to Vite. He passed it to Angulo, who dribbled toward goal and beat Neuer to the far post from just outside the area.