Germany thrash – Kai Havertz inspired Germany to a 7-1 rout of Curacao in their opening match on Sunday night, restoring momentum after a tough run in World Group stages as Curacao’s first World Cup moment in Houston was quickly swallowed by a ruthless second-half surge.
Sunday afternoon in Houston started like a dream for Curacao. In two small pockets of blue, their supporters could live with the moment forever — their boys had finally scored against the four-times World Cup winners.
For a little Caribbean country with a population the size of Middlesbrough, the excitement felt almost untouchable. Curacao journalists’ celebrations looked like they might burst through the plastic screens separating the press box from the crowd. Then. just as Germany attacked again and Curacao briefly looked capable of turning the game. a Moroccan referee called for a hydration break.
At that point the momentum drained out of what had been, for a few minutes, a genuinely unsettling spell for the Germans. A stadium strings and brass ensemble struck up. The world order, as quickly as it had wobbled, snapped back into place — and Germany got down to business.
Germany thrashed World Cup minnows Curacao 7-1 in their opening match on Sunday night, but the scoreline still carried the shock of timing. The Caribbean island had already produced a stunning equaliser to make it 1-1 midway through the first half.
The early danger had the feel of an Alamo moment about it from the start. Havertz dropped into the pockets and the Curacao defence didn’t know where to go or what to take. Curacao still threw themselves into tackles. and they were quick on the counter-attack — but Germany’s attacking structure always seemed to be finding another seam.
Curacao’s goal came from Livano Comenencia of FC Zurich. It was also a sign of a Germany problem that’s been talked about at length: when a team is so attack-minded. it can offer opportunities that better sides punish. Nico Schlotterbeck looked casual in the moment of danger, poking the ball into Comenencia’s path to score. Manuel Neuer was at fault as well.
From there, Germany’s midfield and forward line began to move like a single mechanism. Felix Nmecha — soon to be on the radar of clubs across Europe — created the opening moment. Germany scored after a pass that sent Nmecha through. and the Liverpool disposition of many fans in the stands seemed to spark with the reminder of what a confident Florian Wirtz can look and play like in a winning attacking team.
Nmecha bent a shot a few inches wide soon afterwards as Germany’s poise returned. It was a performance that underlined why he keeps drawing attention — Manchester City. Chelsea and Manchester United have looked at Nmecha — though a £60million price tag looks prohibitive. Germany also appeared to have solved part of their forward equation. with Nmecha looking like he could make up for Germany’s lack of a natural centre forward.
Kai Havertz then took control of the narrative. He converted the third from the spot after Nathaniel Brown’s corner was glanced on by Nico Schlotterbeck. Jamal Musiala, behind him, looked like he had more to add too.
Musiala also pushed back on the doubts from around Jurgen Klopp’s suggestions that he is not fully enough rehabilitated from a broken leg sustained at last summer’s Club World Cup to warrant a starting place. On the pitch, Musiala was sharp: he cut inside to curl a fourth.
The game’s most telling stretch arrived as Germany’s movement pulled Curacao’s defenders apart. Deniz Undav’s flick into the path of Nathaniel Brown set up a volley in the fifth. Brown’s finish was excellent for a left-back. and it explains why Brown — who is close to joining Bayern Munich — has been an Arsenal target.
By then the stadium atmosphere had quieted into something closer to a training routine. A German Mexican wave surpassed the noise from the Blue Wave contingent. Even the sense of occasion seemed undercut by how FIFA priced out many who might have been here for Curacao: there were 2,000 empty seats.
The Dutch had done all they could to support the island, their former colony. Curacao remains an autonomous part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. All but one of the team were born in the Netherlands. and five of the players in Ronald Koeman’s Oranje side — including Justin Timber and Nathan Ake — could also have played for the Dutch.
That connection only made the final gap feel sharper. The fact was simple: a few players of that calibre might have nicked a point or two here, but Curacao were unfortunate to be facing Ivory Coast and Ecuador next. After this kind of defeat, those games promise to be difficult.
Germany showed no mercy in the second half, netting four times to extend the lead to 7-1. It didn’t feel like Curacao had run out of belief at the start of the period; it felt like the body simply couldn’t keep up. The second half was not long gone when they ran out of fuel.
Havertz carved out the sixth, squaring a ball after Deniz Undav squeezed past defenders on the line. Havertz then raced through to dispatch the seventh. Curacao’s second-half damage came with flashes of near-moments, too. A free-kick by Jeremy Antonisse was missed by Joshua Kimmich. allowing Leandro Bacuna a header that sent the ball over the top.
Somewhere inside the five-man back line, Dick Advocaat had plenty to sort. The 78-year-old was managing Curacao, and it marked 28 years since he led the Dutch team to USA ’94 as a 50-year-old. After this, the question for Advocaat is how to bring some order to a defence that was eventually overrun.
For Germany, the timing felt like a restorative. Their tournament prowess had been lost. but this match — the brief mid-afternoon aberration in Texan sunshine — will be the one that gets remembered. The day’s lesson will likely be obvious by Monday. with the German coaching team able to comb through what went right going forward. and what went wrong at the back.
After the hydration-break pause that killed Curacao’s momentum, Germany took charge fully and never let go. Curacao’s party still made it to their first game in World Cup history — but the scoreline ensured it would also be their toughest afternoon so far.
Germany Curacao Kai Havertz Nathaniel Brown Jamal Musiala Nico Schlotterbeck Manuel Neuer Livano Comenencia Deniz Undav Felix Nmecha World Cup World Cup minnows Houston
7-1 wow. Havertz just cooked them lol.
Not gonna lie I read “Curacao first World Cup moment in Houston” and thought it was like some big event… then it’s just like Germany ran over them second half. Rough.
Hydration break really killed the momentum?? Like I get it’s hot or whatever but refs do that all the time. Seems more like Germany got lucky after that break.
I mean Germany is “four-times World Cup winners” so of course it ends 7-1, but the article made it sound like Curacao supporters were actually gonna win for a second 😂 Also Houston stadium brass?? that part was weird to me, like did they stop the match for music or what?