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06/14 16:05 CDT Havertz sparks Germany's 7-1 rout of Curaao after underdogs'
historic 1st goal in World Cup
Havertz sparks Germany's 7-1 rout of Curaao after underdogs' historic 1st goal
in World Cup
By KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) --- Germany's seven-goal rout of Curaao in its World Cup opener
on Sunday was the perfect outcome to overshadow a close first half and boost
the team after consecutive group stage exits for the four-time champions.
Kai Havertz scored two goals as Germany pulled away from World Cup first-timer
Curaao and piled it on in a 7-1 win in group play. The smallest country to
ever appear in the tournament hung tight at 1-1 until the 38th minute.
"We really needed this convincing win," coach Julian Nagelsmann said. "We
needed this self confidence. It was there but it definitely grew."
He said Sunday's display was important for the country's fans.
"We have to show them that we can perform and we have to have the confidence,"
he said. "I think we're in a better spot than we were entering this match."
Livano Comenencia tied it at 1-1 with his left-footed shot through traffic from
the center of the box in the 21st minute to give Curaao its first goal in the
tournament and send fans of the tiny Caribbean nation into a frenzy.
"Even though it wasn't me, it felt like it was me, it was all of us, the whole
island, everybody," Curaao's Jearl Margaritha said. "We screamed our lungs
out. So we were happy."
It was all Germany after that with the team regaining the lead on Nico
Schlotterbeck's header off Nathaniel Brown's corner kick in the 38th.
"One team has very high expectations and the other one doesn't and that's a bit
tricky," Nagelsmann said.
The margin of victory comes well short of the World Cup record of nine goals
which has happened three times, with the last one coming when Hungary beat El
Salvador 10-1 in 1982.
Havertz connected on a penalty shot into the left goal in first half stoppage
time to make it 3-1. Germany was awarded the penalty shot after Felix Nmecha
was tripped in the box by Riechedly Bazoer.
Germany wasted no time after halftime to extend the lead with Jamal Musiala
scoring on a right-footed shot across the goalkeeper's area in the 47th minute.
Brown scored in the 68th minute to push the advantage to 5-1. The 22-year-old
has an American father, but made it clear ahead of the World Cup he'd be
representing the country in which he was born and raised by his mother.
Deniz Undav added a goal in the 78th minute. Havertz's second goal came in the
88th.
It was a strong start for Germany against underdog Curaao as the team seeks
redemption after failing to get out of the group stage in Russia and Qatar
following its 2014 title.
"We are on the right path but of course there are things that we can do better
and we will have stronger opponents," Nagelsmann said.
Nmecha one timed it with his right foot into the near post just inside the
upper box with an assist from Florian Wirtz in the sixth minute to make it 1-0.
The crowd of 68,021 was overwhelming rooting for Germany but there was a
spirited contingent of people cheering on Curaao.
It was the first match of the tournament at Houston Stadium, normally called
NRG Stadium where the NFL's Houston Texans play.
Manuel Neuer, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who came out of international
retirement for the tournament, had one save in his first appearance for Germany
in almost two years.
The match featured the largest age gap between coaches in World Cup history
with Curaao's 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat becoming the oldest ever in the
tournament against 38-year-old Nagelsmann, who is the youngest coach in this
year's tournament.
Germany faces Ivory Coast in its next match in Toronto on Saturday and Curaao
meets Ecuador Saturday in Kansas City.
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
