More goals conceded than saves: Neuer's defense and Germany's corner kick black hole

In the 77th minute at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a corner kick from the right side was taken. Rodriguez flicked the ball with his head at the near post, and Plata poked the ball over Neuer's head into the net before anyone else could react. In the mixed zone after the match, the 40-year-old Neuer explained: "I couldn't see Plata at all from behind; I could only focus on what was happening in front of me."

Sane's lightning-fast goal less than two minutes into the match led Germany to believe they could once again wear down their opponent with 61% possession. But Ecuador shattered that script with seven shots.

Germany held 61% possession and fired 11 shots. Ecuador had taken 39 shots without scoring in their first two group matches, but in this game, they needed only seven shots to score two goals. Angulo's equalizer in the 9th minute and Plata's winner turned that 61% possession into a string of harmless beads. Even more glaring was Neuer's personal record: in this World Cup's three group matches, he conceded four goals and made three saves, with more goals conceded than saves. For a 40-year-old veteran who holds the World Cup record for most appearances by a goalkeeper and was once known for clean sheets, this reversal is extremely stark. He has now conceded in nine consecutive World Cup matches; the last time he kept a clean sheet in the World Cup was in 2014—nearly 12 years ago.

This corner kick split German public opinion in two. Former national team goalkeeper Hildebrand posted multiple videos on Instagram defending Neuer, blaming Raum for losing a header duel, Musiala for being easily pushed away, and Tah for poor positioning, accusing Neuer's critics of being "unprofessional judges." 2014 World Cup winner Kramer slammed the table on ZDF's live broadcast, rebuking German media for being "full of malice," and the studio audience applauded. The defense alliance tried desperately to shift blame to the backline, but the opposing side also had heavyweights. Matthäus dropped a comment on RTL's commentary panel that Neuer was "too timid," "not the goalkeeper German fans know." Even harsher was Hummels, who publicly stated before the match on MagentaTV's studio: "Personally, I would start Baumann against Ecuador as a reward for him."

Neuer himself refuses to back down. He emphasized that blindly rushing out to punch the ball could "lead to an own goal," and his position was aimed at catching a routine header clearance. Head coach Nagelsmann took the bullet afterward, admitting the two goals were "tricky" and that the opponent's shots were indeed difficult to handle, leaving Neuer with little room to perform. Kimmich followed up with excuses, saying that if a goalkeeper needs to make spectacular saves, it means the entire team's defense is at fault.

The mixed zone was crowded, but the scoreboard doesn't lie. Plata's winning goal was the 20th corner-kick goal of this World Cup. Ecuador, with just 39% possession, managed to snatch three points from the Germans' pocket.

Thanks to their results from the first two matches, Germany finished first in Group E with six points. Having passed the group stage, they might face France in the Round of 16. Hummels had openly called for Baumann to start before the match, but Nagelsmann kept him on the bench for all three group games. If Neuer concedes another corner-kick goal against France next week, whether Nagelsmann can continue to shield him will depend on whether he dares to write Baumann's name on the lineup sheet.