Havertz sparks Germany’s 7-1 rout of Curaçao after underdogs’ historic first goal

Germany’s Kai Havertz celebrates with teammate Jonathan Tah, left [AP Photo]

Germany’s seven-goal rout of Curaçao in its World Cup opener yesterday (Macau time) was the perfect outcome to overshadow a close first half and boost the team after consecutive group-stage exits for the four-time champions.

Kai Havertz scored two goals as Germany pulled away from World Cup first-timer Curaçao and piled it on in a 7-1 win in group play. The smallest country to ever appear in the tournament hung tight at 1-1 until the 38th minute.

“We really needed this convincing win,” coach Julian Nagelsmann said. “We needed this self-confidence. It was there but it definitely grew.”

He said the display was important for the country’s fans.

“We have to show them that we can perform and we have to have the confidence,” he said. “I think we’re in a better spot than we were entering this match.”

Livano Comenencia tied it at 1-1 with his left-footed shot through traffic from the center of the box in the 21st minute to give Curaçao its first goal in the tournament and send fans of the tiny Caribbean nation into a frenzy.

“Even though it wasn’t me, it felt like it was me, it was all of us, the whole island, everybody,” Curaçao’s Jearl Margaritha said. “We screamed our lungs out. So we were happy.”

It was all Germany after that with the team regaining the lead on Nico Schlotterbeck’s header off Nathaniel Brown’s corner kick in the 38th.

“One team has very high expectations and the other one doesn’t and that’s a bit tricky,” Nagelsmann said.

The six-goal margin was well short of the World Cup record of nine, which has happened three times, most recently when Hungary beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982. And the performance from the Germans was much more expected than the last time they won 7-1 in a World Cup, beating host Brazil in the 2014 semifinals.

Havertz connected on a penalty shot into the left goal in first-half stoppage time to make it 3-1. Germany was awarded the penalty shot after Felix Nmecha was tripped in the box by Riechedly Bazoer.

Germany wasted no time after halftime to extend the lead, with Jamal Musiala scoring on a right-footed shot across the goalkeeper’s area in the 47th minute.

Brown scored in the 68th minute to push the advantage to 5-1. The 22-year-old has an American father, but made it clear ahead of the World Cup he›d be representing the country in which he was born and raised by his mother.

Deniz Undav added a goal in the 78th minute. Havertz’s second goal came in the 88th.

Germany is seeking redemption after failing to get out of the group stage in Russia and Qatar following its 2014 title.

“We are on the right path but of course there are things that we can do better and we will have stronger opponents,” Nagelsmann said.

Nmecha one-timed it with his right foot into the near post just inside the upper box with an assist from Florian Wirtz in the sixth minute to make it 1-0.

The crowd of 68,021 was overwhelmingly rooting for Germany but there was a spirited contingent of people cheering on Curaçao.

It was the first match of the tournament at NRG Stadium, home of the NFL’s Houston Texans.

Manuel Neuer, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who came out of international retirement for the tournament, had one save in his first appearance for Germany in almost two years.

The match featured the largest age gap between coaches in World Cup history with Curaçao’s 78-year-old coach, Dick Advocaat, becoming the oldest ever in the tournament against 38-year-old Nagelsmann, who is the youngest coach in this year’s tournament.

Germany faces Ivory Coast in its next match in Toronto on Saturday and Curaçao meets Ecuador Saturday in Kansas City, Missouri.  KRISTIE RIEKEN, HOUSTON, MDT/AP