Ecuador coach Sebastian Beccacece said all Ecuadoreans have a lot to celebrate on Thursday after the country’s biggest World Cup result ever, coming from behind to beat Germany 2-1 and advance to the knockout stage.Ecuador’s win at the New York/New Jersey stadium meant they finished as one of the eight best third-place teams across the 12 groups.“Now it is time to celebrate. Time to share this feeling with your family, your friends, to drink your beer,” the Argentine coach said.“It is the biggest victory for Ecuador in a World Cup. We worked for that, we came with the dream of making Ecuador’s best cup ever, and now we did.”Beccacece praised the players for raising their game and overcoming their disappointing opening games, when Ecuador lost to Ivory Coast and then drew 0-0 against tournament debutants Curacao.He told said no changes were made to the team’s style of play.“We kept the tranquility. We kept the exact same idea of how to play,” he said, adding that he didn’t think the squad deserved the previous results.“Football is like that: one day you win, the other day you lose. We were not in the hell before, neither I think we are in the heaven now. The important thing is the balance.“I don’t think we were better than Curacao, neither we felt we were less than Germany. We will keep going, with humility, with prudence.”Increasingly desperate Ecuador stunned Germany to drag their campaign out of the flames.Needing a win — or a miracle — to keep their hopes alive, the South Americans suffered the worst possible start when already-qualified Germany struck in the second minute, with Leroy Sane brilliantly opening his account at a major international tournament in his 15th appearance at one.Ecuador had failed to score in this tournament despite 39 previous attempts, but finally broke their duck with their 40th shot when Nilson Angulo curled the ball beyond Manuel Neuer to spark wild celebrations among the sea of yellow in the stands.Gonzalo Plata then bundled home the winner with 13 minutes remaining to put Ecuador in the knockout rounds.Also on Thursday, Striker Nicolas Pepe scored both goals as Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 to book a place in the knockout stage for the first time.Pepe netted in the seventh and 64th minute to ensure second spot in Group E for the Ivorians and condemn tiny Curacao to bottom spot and elimination from the tournament.Ivory Coast, with six points, finished runners-up to Germany in their group, and qualified for the knockout stage for the first time in four attempts.The Netherlands wrapped up top spot in World Cup Group F with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Tunisia on Thursday (early hours of Friday SA time), capitalising on another error-strewn display from opponents whose calamitous tournament came to a fitting end.It was a nightmare start for Tunisia as Ellyes Skhiri sliced Denzel Dumfries’ cross into his own goal in the third minute. Brian Brobbey doubled the Dutch lead four minutes later when Virgil van Dijk nodded the ball across goal leaving Brobbey with a simple finish from close range after a cleverly worked set piece.Tunisia’s Hazem Mastouri pulled one back with a thumping header from a corner in the 54th minute, but Jan Paul van Hecke struck eight minutes later when he flicked Tijjani Reijnders’ corner on at the near post with the ball glancing off Anis Slimane’s head on the way into the net.Tunisia’s defeat brought down the curtain on a miserable campaign that featured heavy losses to Sweden and Japan, and the sacking of coach Sabri Lamouchi after one game.Japan held on to draw 1-1 with Sweden in their World Cup match on Thursday to finish runners-up in Group F and book a meeting in the knockout stage with five-time champions Brazil after an Anthony Elanga strike cancelled out Daizen Maeda’s opener.Japan finished on five points behind group winners the Netherlands on seven points. Japan face Brazil in a round of 32 clash on Monday in Houston while Sweden move on with four points as one of the best third-place teams.Turkey beat a second-string US 3-2 with a last-gasp goal from Kaan Ayhan at Los Angeles Stadium for their first win of the tournament, with the co-hosts having already won Group D and a place in the knockout round.The US now turn their focus to Wednesday’s knockout-round meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, while Turkey head home having at least salvaged some pride.Australia booked their spot in the knockout rounds with a cagey and physical 0-0 draw against Paraguay, who must wait to learn their fate as a third-placed finisher.All the World Cup fixtures hereWorld Cup page hereAll the group profiles hereStar player profiles hereBafana news here