In Brief
- Curaçao earned their first World Cup point in a frenzied draw against Ecuador.
- Germany is back in the knockout stage for first time since 2014.
A dramatic comeback, a maiden World Cup point, plenty of goals and an end to a 12-year wait — the World Cup was full of drama on Sunday.
Japan thrashed Tunisia on Sunday afternoon (AEST) in a 4-0 match that marked the 1,000th game in World Cup history.
Meanwhile Curaçao made history on Sunday when a frantic 0-0 draw against Ecuador earned the side their first-ever World Cup point.
Germany celebrated their qualification to the knockout phase of the FIFA World Cup with a dramatic last-minute 2-1 win against Côte d'Ivoire in front of 43,000 fans at Toronto Stadium.
This will be their first knockout-stage appearance since lifting the trophy in 2014.
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Earlier on Sunday, the Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1, with their Liverpool superstar Cody Gakpo scoring a brace to help shatter a World Cup record for Sweden that had stood since 1958.
Japan strolls to Victory
Japan marked the 1,000th game in the history of the World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of Tunisia on Saturday to close in on a place in the last 32.
Ayase Ueda scored twice while Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito were also on target as the Asian giants joined the Netherlands on four points at the top of Group F.
Tunisia, who were thumped 5-1 by Sweden in their first game of the tournament, can no longer hope for a place in the knockout rounds.
The Blue Samurai, who held the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw in their Group F opener, were always in control against Tunisia at the Monterrey Stadium.
The result marked a losing start for new Tunisia manager Hervé Renard, who was hastily appointed to take over the World Cup campaign after predecessor Sabri Lamouchi was sacked in the wake of the Sweden drubbing.
But Renard's team never looked like threatening a technically superior Japanese side that were quickly into their trademark, smooth passing game.
Daichi Kamada opened the scoring after just four minutes, finishing from close range after deft interplay from Ao Tanaka and Keito Nakamura.
The Japanese almost scored again moments later, with only a desperate goalline clearance from Dylan Bronn denying the Asian giants a second goal.
Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen was also working overtime, and had to claw away a shot that just went agonisingly short of crossing the goalline.
Japan finally added to their tally in the 31st minute, with striker Ueda taking advantage of some hesitant Tunisian defending to surge forward and thunder a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
The rout continued in the second half, with Junya Ito latching onto a brilliant through ball to calmly finish on 69 minutes before Ueda scored again with a looping header in the 83rd minute.
First point for World Cup debutantes
Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room was the hero, keeping out a barrage of shots to help the tiny Caribbean nation claim their first ever World Cup point in a goalless draw that keeps alive their hopes of reaching the knockout phase.
Ecuador, who finished second in South American qualifying, had 28 shots, including 15 on target but Room stood firm in an astonishing display in Kansas City.
His 15 saves are the most on record, since 1966, by any goalkeeper in a World Cup match that did not feature extra-time.
World Cup debutants Curaçao, the smallest nation by population ever to qualify for the tournament, slumped to a 7-1 defeat against Germany in their opening match but restored pride in the American Midwest.
Ecuador fans turned the Kansas City Stadium yellow, hugely outnumbering supporters of Curaçao.
But Curaçao had royalty on their side in the form of Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The island is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Out of their 26-strong squad, managed by vastly experienced Dutch coach Dick Advocaat, 25 were born in the Netherlands, and most play their football there.
The match started at a fizzing pace.
Ecuador seemed certain to open the scoring in the third minute when former West Ham forward Enner Valencia burst through the middle but Room tipped the ball around the post.
Sherel Floranus fired over at the other end as Curaçao showed their pace on the break.
Valencia failed to beat Room from close range before Jordy Alcívar had an effort as Ecuador continued to dominate possession.
The South American team ended the first half with 65 percent of possession but nothing to show for their dominance.
They went close to breaking the deadlock just before the hour mark but Room kept out a Gonzala Plata header, before a flurry of chances.
Ecuador, more than 50 places higher than Curaçao in the FIFA rankings, looked increasingly frazzled as they pressed for a goal.
As the match neared its end, chances continued to come thick and fast but Room stood firm.
Ecuador substitute Ángelo Preciado mishit a cross that bounced off the top of the crossbar and went behind.
The Curaçao players swarmed around Room at the end of the match, celebrating an extraordinary point.
'Winning mentality, team spirit'
Germany was chasing their opponents in the first half, and the Ivorians surged ahead when Franck Kessié struck in the 30th minute, following strong work by their teenage phenomenon Yan Diomande.
When the second half began, the Germans applied relentless pressure.
The Ivorian defence held firm until the 68th minute, but the Germans ultimately broke through when Deniz Undav volleyed in a cross into the goal, only eight minutes after he was subbed into the match.
That was not his most important moment in the match, as in 94th minute, his second goal sent the German crowd into wild celebrations, snapping a string of disappointments from the last two World Cups.
"Winning mentality, team spirit — we had exactly what you need to be successful in a tournament," Germany defender Jonathan Tah said.
"We never gave up, we kept going no matter what. The guys coming off the bench brought energy. Deniz deserves a special mention, outstanding."
Germany is now top of Group E with six points and guaranteed to qualify for the next rounds.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann paid tribute to Undav's clinical finishing and said it was "not out of the question" that he could start the next game against Ecuador.
"That was great for him. You can't get more decisive than that," Nagelsmann told MagentaTV.
Causing 'fear among opponents'
Earlier, the Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1, flipping the script from the Swedes' 5-1 demolition of Tunisia less than a week earlier, in a display that coach Ronald Koeman said proved his side can be "incredibly dangerous".
This leaves the Netherlands, which had a 2-2 draw against Japan in their first match, with four points at the top of the group, with a game in hand, waiting for the result of Japan-Tunisia, which will be played later today.
The Netherlands' win is almost certainly going to be enough to secure them a place in the last 32 of the expanded 48-team tournament.
The match started with two goals by the Dutch side in the first 17 minutes, thanks to their 24-year-old striker Brian Brobbey.
Liverpool's Cody Gakpo scored twice in the first nine minutes of the second half to put the Dutch 4-0 up, ensuring that Sweden's lone strike from Anthony Elanga was only ever going to be a consolation goal.
Crysencio Summerville completed the Dutch rout with a fifth goal in the 89th minute.
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman was delighted at the manner of his team's victory.
"If you look further at the goals we scored, that will cause fear among opponents," he said.
"The way those goals came about, in transition with a lot of pace and a lot of quality, we can be incredibly dangerous."
The last time Sweden conceded five goals in a World Cup match was the 1958 final against Brazil, when they lost 5-2.
— With reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters news agencies.
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