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 Plato stuck up his left foot, just in front of Neuer, and poked it into the net.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.The crowd let out a deafening roar and Plato 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, “Si se puede! Si se puede!” Yes, we can! Yes, we can!When the final whistle blew, Ecuador had defeated Germany, 2-1, in one of the biggest upsets of this World Cup.
Had Ecuador lost, its tournament would be over.Now it was advancing to the knockout round.
In the press box, Ecuadorian media cheered.Grown men hugged one another, and at least one started crying.
On the field, Beccacece ran back to the stands, climbed up higher this time and embraced his family again.“I think we need to celebrate these moments,” Beccacece said after the win via a FIFA interpreter.“I’m thinking of the Ecuadorian people, 19 million people celebrating, hugging each other, having a beer, and celebrating this historical victory.”Germany had entered today having scored nine goals in its first two games, the most ...