Enner Valencia’s brace gave Ecuador a 2-0 victory over Qatar in the opening match of the 2022 World Cup.
The hosts rarely threatened to score and shot on goal for the full 90 minutes, while the South Americans dominated at Al Bayt Stadium.
Here are the 3 we learned.
Ecuador finished fourth in the South American World Cup qualifiers and has a younger exuberance to make a deep run in the tournament.
El Tri, who were playing their fourth World Cup, their first in 2022, got off to a great start when a header from Enner Valencia gave them the lead.
However, the semi-automatic offside generation helped VAR score the goal with an offside call in the build-up.
Valencia, however, returned home coolly from the penalty spot after being brought down by opposing goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb, the latter having a nightmare start.
The 33-year-old former West Ham striker doubled the lead in the minute with a memorable header from an Ayrton Preciado cross from the right wing.
The South American team may have scored more, but it was to blame for the lack of chances they created against the hosts.
Ecuador has now kept its cage intact in each of its last seven games and will not stay in the remaining games.
If Gustavo Alfaro’s men can face the Netherlands in their next match, they will depend on Senegal to qualify for the knockout stages.
Qatar looked like a very disorganized team, slightly to string together combined passes and keep the ball.
Almoez Ali wasted a brilliant chance to pull one out at half-time, but took a wide lead with the Ecuadorian target at his mercy.
The hosts didn’t shoot on purpose throughout the match, which would actually worry head coach Felix Sanchez, whose team outplayed every blade of grass during the 90 minutes.
Mohammed Muntari came close to scoring a brilliant goal for the hosts, holding on to a long pass from the right channel, but his thunderous effort crashed into the ceiling of the net.
The hosts’ defensive line looked very fragile. Ecuador had possession of the ball and if Sanchez temporarily did not respond to those concerns, the symptoms could be ominous against the Netherlands and Senegal.
Ecuador will face the Netherlands in what promises to be a match for either team. Louis Van Gaal said Oranje is smart enough to win the tournament and that the existing crop is stronger than the 2014 team that reached the semifinals in Brazil. .
Ecuador, however, will push the Dutch to the limit and Alfrao will be supported by what he saw of his opposition to Qatar.
For the hosts, however, they face the black horses of the Senegal tournament in a win-win match, otherwise threatening elimination.
Photo credit: IMAGO/Xinhua