HOUSTON, Texas – Four-time World Cup champion Germany has secured its first opening-match victory at the global tournament since claiming the 2014 title, delivering a commanding 7-1 defeat to first-time qualifier Curacao in their Group E opener at Houston on Sunday. The lopsided result puts Hansi Flick’s (Julian Nagelsmann’s) side in a strong position to advance to the knockout round for the first time in a decade, though stiffer tests await against group opponents Ecuador and Ivory Coast in the coming matches.
The opening 10 minutes of the match saw Germany take an early lead, with 22-year-old Felix Nmecha curling a stunning strike past Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room in the sixth minute after a crisp build-up play from Florian Wirtz. The opening goal prompted an animated celebration from head coach Julian Nagelsmann, who let out a loud roar of approval on the sidelines. Nmecha, who like teammate Jamal Musiala represented England at youth international level before committing to Germany, nearly doubled his tally just minutes later with a powerful long-range effort that sailed just wide of the post.
The Caribbean underdogs responded with a surprise equalizer in the 16th minute, when Livano Comenencia’s shot took a heavy deflection that wrong-footed 40-year-old German captain Manuel Neuer. Neuer, the oldest player to ever represent Germany at a World Cup and the first to compete in five editions of the tournament, could only shake his head as the ball found the back of the net, sending Curacao’s passionate fan group, the Blue Wave, into a frenzy in the stands. The moment also prompted a jubilant celebration from Curacao manager Dick Advocaat, 78, the oldest head coach in this year’s tournament, who leapt from his bench with arms raised.
A mid-first-half hydration break gave Germany the chance to reset and refocus. “The goal we conceded was unnecessary, but that’s part of the game,” said young defender Nathaniel Brown after the match. “I’m proud that we didn’t let our heads drop after the equalizer.”
Curacao’s desperate block-and-reboot defense held Germany off for nearly 20 minutes after the equalizer, with Room pulling off a brilliant save to tip Nico Schlotterbeck’s point-blank header over the crossbar. But the underdog defense finally cracked in the 38th minute, when Schlotterbeck found himself unmarked on a corner kick and headed home his first ever senior international goal to restore Germany’s lead.
Germany extended their advantage to 3-1 just before halftime, when Kai Havertz converted a penalty after Nmecha was brought down in the box by Riechedly Bazoer. The European side picked up exactly where they left off when the second half kicked off, with Musiala slotting home from a tight angle just 69 seconds after the restart, stretching the lead to 4-1.
Leroy Sane missed a clear chance to make it 5-1 just after the hour mark, firing wide with only Room to beat, but substitute fullback Nathaniel Brown made no such mistake minutes later, firing home his first ever international goal ahead of the second hydration break. Speaking after the match, Brown called the moment “indescribable”. “To score in my first ever World Cup match, with my whole family here in the stands, then to celebrate with the guys – it’s simply incredible,” the 22-year-old said.
Substitute Deniz Undav, who has enjoyed a red-hot run of form for Germany, made it 6-1, notching his seventh goal in his last seven international appearances. Havertz wrapped up the scoring with his second goal of the match and 24th for his country in the final minutes, capping off a 7-1 win that replicated the iconic scoreline Germany recorded against host Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final.