Ecuador eased past World Cup debutants Qatar 2-0 on Sunday with first-half goals from veteran striker Enner Valencia in a one-sided affair that was the first opening game defeat for a host nation in the tournament’s history. | Reuters
“I thought it was a goal. I think Michael Estrada needs to do something about his toe nails because it was very tight,” quipped Ecuador’s manager Gustavo Alfaro of his player whose foot was judged offside.Ecuador kept pressing though and Valencia coolly dispatched a penalty in the 16th minute after Alsheeb had tripped him.
“We managed to score a couple of quick goals which helped us to get control of the game … We think we can go very far and perform well.” Ecuador’s second goal killed the Group A game as a contest and the second half was played at a slow pace, with many Qataris leaving before the end as Ecuador’s fans chanted “Ole!”
Both sides now have to play African champions Senegal and three-time World Cup finalists the Netherlands, with Qatar’s chances of qualifying from the group stage or even picking up points looking slim on Sunday’s performance.
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