SOCCER: Beccacece hails Ecuador's biggest World Cup victory

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Ecuador national football team head coach Sebastián Beccacece said all Ecuadorians had reason to celebrate on Thursday after the country’s biggest World Cup result to date, a 2-1 comeback win over Germany national football team that secured a place in the knockout stage.

The victory at the New York/New Jersey stadium saw Ecuador finish as one of the top eight third-place teams across the 12 groups, keeping their tournament hopes alive.

“Now it is time to celebrate. Time to share this feeling with your family, your friends, to drink your beer,” the Argentine coach said during a post-match news conference.

“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 it,” he added.

Beccacece praised his players for responding strongly after a difficult start to the tournament, which included a loss to Ivory Coast and a 0-0 draw against debutants Curaçao.

He stressed that no major tactical changes were made despite the early setbacks.

“We kept our tranquility. We kept the exact same idea of how to play,” he said, adding that he did not believe the team deserved its earlier results.

“Football is like that: one day you win, the other day you lose. We were not in hell before, and we are not in heaven now. The important thing is balance.

“I don’t think we were better than Curaçao, nor do I think we were worse than Germany. We will keep going with humility and prudence,” he added. -Reporting by Marcelo TeixeiraEditing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters