By Nick Said
HOUSTON, June 14 (Reuters) - Germany began their World Cup campaign with a thumping 7-1 victory over debutants Curacao on Sunday in a match where history was made on several fronts and the one-sided result could not overshadow the occasion for the island nation.
Germany's Felix Nmecha scored the fastest goal of the tournament so far after six minutes and Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz (two), Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav also netted in an easy outing for Julian Nagelsmann’s
side.
But the biggest cheer from the 68,021 crowd came for Livano Comenencia’s 21st minute equaliser for Curacao to score their first goal at a World Cup as they became the smallest nation by population size and area to play at the global finals.
Curacao’s sizeable support enjoyed their historic day out under Dick Advocaat, who became the oldest coach in World Cup history at the age of 78, and cheered to the end on an occasion perhaps most believed would never come.
Recalled goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is now also the oldest player to feature for Germany at a major tournament aged 40, beating the previous record holder Lothar Matthaeus, when he played at the 2000 European Championship.
Curacao can take some cold comfort from the fact that the scoreline in their Group E opener matched Germany’s 7-1 win over hosts Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals and that on their day the four-times World Cup winners can be unstoppable.
This was not quite at that level, but the Germans were still largely clinical, controlled possession and created chances at will to send a message to rivals at this World Cup that they should be in the conversation around potential winners.
Curacao are known as The Blue Wave but instead it was wave after wave of white shirts that confronted them from the start.
Parity lasted six minutes before Germany’s quick passing on the edge of the box created a scoring chance for Nmecha, after a one-two with Florian Wirtz, and he curled his shot into the corner of the net, leaving goalkeeper Eloy Room with no chance.
Germany continued to press but the second goal was scored by Curacao as the plan to hit their opponents on the break worked.
There had been a few warning signs before Germany twice failed to clear the ball around their box and Comenencia’s shot from 15 metres took a deflection that lifted the ball past Neuer.
Germany were back in front after 38 minutes, though, with a simple glancing header by Schlotterbeck from Brown’s corner and from there it became a procession.
Germany got a penalty when Nmecha was brought down by Riechedly Bazoer and Havertz converted before Musiala extended the lead early in the second period leaving Brown, Deniz Undav and Havertz, with his second goal, to complete the rout.
(Reporting by Nick Said and Michael Kahn, Editing by Ken Ferris)
