Ecuador's win over Germany pushes S. Korea further from Round of 32 berth

South Korea’s hopes of advancing to the Round of 32 at the World Cup have dimmed after the team slipped to fifth place in the race among third-place teams, with several groups still to complete their final group-stage matches through Sunday (Korea time).

Ecuador on Friday secured a 2-1 victory over Germany, the 2014 champions, finishing third in Group E and putting the South American country at the top of the standings among the 12 third-place teams.

Under the tournament’s expanded 48-team forma ...