Sebastian Beccacece had warned beforehand that a failure to advance beyond Ecuador's World Cup group would cost him his job. Instead, he vaulted the stadium barriers in New Jersey to embrace his family after a 2-1 victory over Germany that sent La Tri into the knockout stages for only the second time in their history.

The Argentine coach had been under enormous pressure heading into the decisive match. A last-gasp defeat to Ivory Coast in the opener had been followed by a goalless draw against debutants Curacao — a result that turned the Ecuadorean fanbase sharply against him and sparked reports of a verbal confrontation between his family and supporters after the match.