Germany put behind them the disappointments of the last two World Cups and secured a place in the knockout stage with a dramatic 2-1 comeback over Ivory Coast late Saturday into Sunday. Julian Nagelsmann’s team trailed after captain Franck Kessie scored in the 30th minute, but substitute Deniz Undav turned the match with a second-half brace, including the winner in the 94th minute. Germany, four-time world champions, finished top of Group 5 and can now look ahead to the next round.
Undav, Stuttgart’s striker and last season’s Bundesliga runner-up in scoring with 19 goals, equalized in the 68th minute after another substitute, Nadiem Amiri, delivered a precise cross. Deep into stoppage time, Felix Nmecha found him again, Undav controlled with his back to goal and spun to finish past Yahia Fofana. Ivory Coast had nine shots and, as the report noted, deserved at least a point. It was also Undav’s second impact off the bench in the tournament after he came on against Curaçao and produced a goal and two assists in Germany’s 7-1 opening win. The 29-year-old now has nine goals in 11 appearances for Germany.
Ivory Coast still can reach the knockout round if it beats Curaçao on Thursday at 23:00 in Philadelphia. At the same time in New Jersey, Germany will face Ecuador in the other Group 5 match.
In the group’s other game, Curaçao and Ecuador drew 0-0, and the Caribbean side celebrated its first-ever World Cup point. Goalkeeper Eloy Room, 37, who plays for Miami FC in the U.S. second division, produced a historic performance with 15 saves, the most ever recorded in a World Cup match without extra time. The previous all-time record, including extra time matches, is 16 by Tim Howard against Belgium in 2014.
Curaçao, which became the smallest country ever to qualify for a World Cup eight months ago, entered after losing 7-1 to Germany. It absorbed heavy pressure from Ecuador, which had also lost 1-0 to Ivory Coast in its opener, but finished with only 25 percent possession and still took a precious point. Both Curaçao and Ecuador remain alive only with a slim chance of advancing if they upset Ivory Coast and Germany, respectively, on Thursday.
