Germany arrived at MetLife Stadium having already topped Group E. Ecuador arrived needing a win or an early flight home. That much was clear before kickoff. What followed was less predictable. It was only the second time in five World Cup appearances that Ecuador have reached the knockout rounds. The first was 2006. The three tournaments in between — 2002, 2014, 2022 — all ended in the group stage. This one nearly did too. The loss to Ivory Coast was a gut punch. Curacao was the one that truly stung. Fifteen attempts on goal, each denied by Eloy Room. No team had registered that many shots without scoring at a World Cup since 1966. They went into the Germany game having spent 242 minutes at this tournament without a goal. ALSO READ | World Cup third-place standings: Which teams will qualify for Round of 32 Then Florian Wirtz found Leroy Sane in the box two minutes in. Sane’s left foot, misfiring for much of this tournament, found its mark. His first World Cup goal. Manuel …