Angulo's equalizer gives Ecuador first World Cup 2026 goal against Germany

Nilson Angulo ended Ecuador’s scoring drought with a right-footed strike from outside the box in the 9th minute against Germany, turning a tense Group E match at MetLife Stadium into a moment that could define Ecuador’s tournament. Pedro Vite set up the equalizer, and the shot beat Manuel Neuer to the right side of the goal after Germany had struck first.

Germany had gone ahead in the 2nd minute through Leroy Sané, putting Ecuador under immediate pressure in its third and final Group E match at the World Cup 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. For Sebastián Beccacece’s side, the assignment was stark: Ecuador needed a win to keep its tournament hopes alive after failing to score in its first two group games.

Angulo’s response carried more weight than a simple equalizer. It was Ecuador’s first goal of the World Cup 2026, a long-range finish that arrived with the team already cornered by the standings and the clock. The goal also showed a direct attacking sequence: Vite provided the assist, Angulo took the right-footed attempt from distance, and Neuer was beaten cleanly.

The strike gave Ecuador a lift after a slow start to the group stage and shifted the match from survival mode into something more ambitious. After two scoreless outings, Ecuador had finally broken through against one of the tournament’s established powers, and the timing mattered as much as the finish. The point of contact was clear, the execution was decisive, and the impact reached beyond the scoreboard.

Angulo’s goal also sharpened the focus on his place in Ecuador’s attack. In a team that had arrived in East Rutherford without a goal to show for its first two matches, he delivered the breakthrough that kept the side in the fight and gave Beccacece’s squad a first foothold in the competition. For Ecuador, the equalizer was not just an answer to Sané’s opener. It was the first sign, at this World Cup, that the attack could still produce under pressure.