HOUSTON, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Germany reached the World Cup knockout stage after substitute Deniz Undav scored twice in a 2-1 comeback victory over Cote d'Ivoire on Saturday, while Japan's 4-0 rout of Tunisia later marked the 1000th match in World Cup history.
In Group E, Germany secured its second straight win and advanced to the round of 32 with one match to spare, reaching the knockout stage for the first time since winning the 2014 World Cup. The Germans had failed to advance from the group stage in both 2018 and 2022.
Franck Kessie gave Cote d'Ivoire a 1-0 lead in the 30th minute, before Undav, coming on as a second-half substitute, equalized in the 68th minute and fired home the winner in stoppage time for his third goal of the tournament.
Elsewhere in the group, Curacao earned its first-ever World Cup point with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador. Goalkeeper Eloy Room starred with a series of saves and kept Curacao's hopes of advancing alive.
The match also featured a milestone for Chinese match officials, with referee Ma Ning, assistant referee Zhou Fei and video assistant referee Fu Ming officiating together at the World Cup.
In Group F, the Netherlands routed Sweden 5-1 to move top of the standings and extend its unbeaten World Cup group-stage streak to 18 matches.
Japan also collected its first victory of the tournament with a commanding 4-0 win over Tunisia. The game was the 1000th in FIFA World Cup history, a landmark moment for a competition that has spanned nearly a century since its inaugural edition in Uruguay in 1930.
Tunisia became the first team in Group F to be eliminated after suffering two defeats. The knockout-round berths remain wide open among the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden. Japan will face Sweden in its final group match, while Tunisia will take on the Netherlands. ■
