The net rippled and Curaçao’s bench exploded in every conceivable direction, their giddiness underpinned by a lucid awareness of the goal’s place in history. Livano Comenencia had just equalised against Germany and an island of 158,000 inhabitants, represented here by an accomplished group born almost entirely in the Netherlands, could revel disbelievingly in the moment it had dreamed of.
Reality eventually bit, Julian Nagelsmann’s side declaring on seven and easily avoiding an embarrassment that would have outdone their group-stage exits in the previous two World Cups. They will surely reach the knockouts this time and could have made absolutely certain by adding several more. Nagelsmann will be pleased that threats emanated from across the pitch, half a dozen different scorers bearing testament to that, but it should go without saying that more accurate tests of strength await. Kai Havertz, rounding things off neatly late on with his second goal, will hope to be similarly efficient later on.
Half of Curaçao’s population could occupy the vast, sheer stands of Houston’s stadium. The challenge was for their team not to be dwarfed but the noise from their 7,000-strong “blue wave”, a number of whom had travelled from the island on a day trip, told its own story before kick-off. The fact of being here, celebrated exuberantly at a launch party near the city’s midtown the previous night, was enough for most. Progressing from a daunting Group E would arguably be an even greater achievement than the improbable act of qualifying.
When a marauding Deveron Fonville was checked abruptly by Aleksandar Pavlovic in the opening moments it was clear Dick Advocaat, breaking a record himself as the tournament’s oldest ever coach, had not sent Curaçao to stand on ceremony. He had picked three forwards but with that came a risk of exposure. Germany had already probed down the left before Felix Nmecha, keeping an attack alive after Jamal Musiala’s shot had been blocked, exchanged passes with Florian Wirtz and took aim. His first-time strike from 16 yards, firm and curling, left the keeper Elroy Room standing.
The floodgates seemed sure to open. Nmecha was quickly emboldened to shoot again, missing the far post by inches, and then Leroy Sane danced inside only to scrape wide. Nmecha and Wirtz both had further efforts before Curacao could cross the halfway line meaningfully.
Yet Comenencia’s moment of magic did not come entirely as a surprise. Curaçao had warmed into the game, Leandro Bacuna lofting over and Tahith Chong exhibiting some tidy footwork, when a rapid attack down the right was only half dealt with by Schlotterbeck. Jurgen Locadia, seizing on the loose ball, had a shot blocked but Comenencia was not to be denied. He cracked the follow-up past Neuer via a slight deflection and wrote a surely indelible entry in World Cup lore.
Curaçao were coursing with adrenaline and momentum. It was almost immediately halted by the now standard three-minute “hydration break”, apparently still necessary in a closed-roof arena cooled to around 22 degrees, and instead of football a pulsating crowd was distracted by a Mariachi band performance from a stage in one of the corners. Who and what, exactly, did that irrelevance serve?
In fairness it took Germany another 17 minutes to profit. Room reacted smartly to tip over a Schlotterbeck header, Comenencia then blocking from Pavlovic and Fonville denying Leroy Sane a certain goal. Curaçao were living a charmed life but could not get away with leaving Schlotterbeck completely unmarked to glance Brown’s right-sided corner past a helpless Room.
Nagelsmann, the subject of pre-match mischief from a potentially jobseeking Jurgen Klopp, celebrated in relief. His team kept pressing and had breathing space by half time. Nmecha, bursting forward from midfield at every opportunity, was tripped in the box by Richiedly Bazoer and Havertz rolled the penalty in nonchalantly just before the whistle.
The contest had been great fun while it lasted. It was definitively over 68 seconds after the resumption when Joshua Kimmich, given time and space to tuck inside, slid a pass down the inside right to greet a clever Musiala run. A sharp finish, chopped across Room from an angle, gave the scoreline a look to reflect Germany’s steady stream of chances.
More followed, Room tipping a Havertz effort wide and Bacuna throwing himself in front of Wirtz’s attempt to make it five. By the hour proceedings were in Mexican wave territory, although Bacuna should have set Curaçao hearts aflame once more when nodding a free-kick too high and Sane sliced wide when sent in behind.
Then Brown raised the volume with a delightful goal, the impressive left-back steering in a deft volley after Deniz Undav’s flick. Undav, a substitute, quickly scored from close range shortly after Jearl Margaritha had come close for Curaçao. A deft dink from Havertz completed the rout but the blue wave had made its impression.