Turkey stun USA in last minute as Australia secure last-32 spot; Germany warned after Ecuador defeat

Turkey pulled off a dramatic last-gasp 3-2 win over a second-string USA side at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but the result did not prevent the co-hosts from finishing as Group D winners. The victory, sealed in the final minute of an end-to-end encounter, meant Turkey ended their World Cup on a high, while the USA had already secured top spot. Australia, meanwhile, booked their place in the last 32 for the third time in their history with a nerve-shredding 0-0 draw against Paraguay at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. A much-changed Socceroos side controlled large parts of the match, but with both teams knowing a draw would be enough, long stretches lacked impetus. The result secured second place in Group D for Australia. Tony Popovic, who made six changes to his starting XI, saw his team delivered a historic achievement on a cool night in Santa Clara, leaving more than 12,000 fans in yellow delirious. Jordy Bos, playing on the right side of defence, and Lucas Herrington, making his World Cup debut, were among the best for Australia. The Socceroos will now rest for a week before their last-32 match in Dallas, with their opponent to be decided from Group G. Belgium are well-placed to finish second in that group, needing only to beat New Zealand. Germany, already assured of top spot in their group, suffered a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador, exposing weaknesses that the German media were quick to lay bare. Leroy Sané scored an early goal, but Nilson Angulo and Gonzalo Plata turned the game on its head. Sky Sport Deutschland wrote: “The German team, on the other hand, was largely invisible for long stretches. Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala once again fell far short of their potential. Manuel Neuer also looked shaky on both goals conceded.” Bild added: “This performance is worrying! … Julian Nagelsmann’s team delivered a shaky, at times unfocused performance – at this rate, we’ll be out soon!” The 2014 champions were warned that, after back-to-back group stage exits in 2018 and 2022, more disappointment could follow. England, meanwhile, remain in control of their own destiny ahead of their final group game against Panama.