Germany 7-1 Curaçao: World Cup report, results, goals – the four-time champions dodged the shock with force
It was a merciless display from Die Mannschaft in Houston.
Four-time world champion Germany avoided a huge upset in the World Cup opener, eventually winning comfortably 7-1 – after being set back by the tournament debutants from Curaçao in Houston.
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Kai Havertz scored two goals, while Felix Nmecha, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav ensured a thorough victory for Julian Nagelsmann’s men. Thus, painful memories from the opening losses in the last two championships were swept into the history books.
Curaçao – the smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup – made its own history when Livano Comenencia scored the team’s first-ever World Cup goal and equalised after 21 minutes.
But in the end, the Europeans made sure there was no sensation – and instead sent a clear signal to the rest of the championship.
A historic first half
It took just over five minutes for the Germans to score in Houston. After receiving the ball from Florian Wirtz, Nmecha curled a lovely first touch right into the near corner and gave the Europeans an early lead.
Nmecha came close to scoring his second moment later, when he fired a shot that whizzed just wide of the post – the Germans put pressure from the first kick.
Leroy Sané then steered the ball outside, before Wirtz deflected a shot on the wrong side of the goal. But just when Die Mannschaft seemed to want to extend their lead to avoid a third straight World Cup opening loss and erase the memories of recent missteps, Curaçao tore up the script.
When the ball hit a lucky position, Comenencia fired away – with a little help from a direction – and fooled the stretched Manuel Neuer. It sent shock waves throughout the championship.
The Curaçao players and their supporters erupted in wild cheers. Suddenly, the German defense looked fragile.
Then both Sané and Schlotterbeck had chances, but Advocaat’s men – full of confidence after scoring their first ever World Cup goal – resisted against their European opponents.
But seven minutes before half-time, Germany regained the lead through Schlotterbeck, who headed in from a corner and calmed the nerves of the four-time champions.
Any remaining fears of a shock were then extinguished when Nagelsmann’s side were awarded a penalty deep in injury time of the first half, after Nmecha was fouled.
Havertz coolly put the ball into the net from 12 yards, and Germany could go to the break with a much-needed respite.
German dominance after the break
Within two minutes of the second half, Musiala had made it 4-0 when he finished impressively from an acute angle after a pass from Joshua Kimmich.
After that, Germany naturally took the air out of the game. Sané missed a great opportunity to make the goal difference even bigger, but it didn’t matter.
Brown scored his fifth goal with just over 20 minutes left – the left-back fired the ball into the net after finding himself in an advanced position up the pitch.
Curaçao threatened at times, but with the game all but decided, they fell further behind when substitute Undav lost after being served by Kimmich, and Havertz scored his seventh goal with a delightful chip.
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