Nicolas Pepe scored twice as Ivory Coast reached the World Cup knockout stages for the first time thanks to a 2-0 victory which eliminated tournament debutants Curacao. Arsenal’s one-time €83.5m record signing gave his country a seventh-minute lead in Philadelphia, slotting in from close range following Yan Diomande’s cut back from the left before adding a second in the 65th minute.
Read more
Ecuador produced a rousing fightback to come from behind and beat Germany 2-1 in their final Group E match in New Jersey to put themselves into the last 32 of the World Cup. Leroy Sane had fired Germany, who were already qualified as group winners, into an early lead at the MetLife Stadium, before Nilson Angulo soon had Ecuador level after nine minutes.
Read more
A heroic performance from goalkeeper Eloy Room created history for Curacao as they earned a first World Cup point by holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City. Room made 15 saves – the most by any goalkeeper in 90 minutes of a World Cup match since records began in 1966 – as he acted as a one-man barrier, with Dick Advocaat’s brave side bouncing back from their 7-1 thrashing by Germany in their opening game.
Read more
Deniz Undav rescued Germany as his second-half double helped them come from behind to defeat Ivory Coast and book their place in the knockout stages of the World Cup. The four-time winners were frustrated after going behind to a 30th-minute goal from Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie but Julian Nagelsmann turned to his bench in search of a response – and Undav delivered emphatically.
Read more
A late goal from Amad Diallo earned the Ivory Coast a 1-0 win in their entertaining opening World Cup clash with Ecuador in Philadelphia. The South Americans struck the woodwork three times with the Ivory Coast also rattling the bar before the Manchester United forward, on as a substitute, found the bottom corner in the 90th minute. Ecuador carved out the better chances of an entertaining first half, Enner Valencia blazing over the bar after Emmanuel Agbadou’s slip gave him room in the penalty area.
Read more