Ecuador 1-1 Argentina: 5 talking points as La Albiceleste remain unbeaten in qualifying campaign | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
In a game between two already qualified teams for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Ecuador held Argentina to a 1-1 draw. On-loan Manchester City striker Julian Alvarez opened the scoring for La Albiceleste before Enner Valencia netted an injury-time equaliser for the hosts.
In a close game, chances were at a premium for both teams. Ecuador enjoyed a good spell early on, with Alvarez's 24th-minute goal coming against the run of play. The visitors were on the cusp of their 12th win in the ongoing qualifiers, but Valencia had other ideas.
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ยก๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐พ๐๐ถ๐น! ๐
Ecuador lo empatรณ en el cierre y repartieron puntos
โฑ๐ช๐จ 1 ๐ 1 ๐ฆ๐ท
โฝ๐ฆ๐ท J. รlvarez
โฝ๐ช๐จ E. Valencia
#EliminatoriasSudamericanas https://t.co/MxvJUE7KRN
Nevertheless, Argentina, along with Brazil, remain unbeaten in their qualifying campaign, while Ecuador end theirs on a four-game winless streak. With the spoils shared in a tense game, we take a look at the five talking points:
#5 Ecuador play to their strengths, frustrate Argentina
Ecuador have a solid record at home in the qualifying campaign, losing just once. The hosts have the second-best attacking record in the qualifiers (27 goals). They pushed for one throughout the game as they looked to put Argentina on the back foot.
Ecuador were the dominant team in the final third, with ten shots on goal, including three on target. They also played more accurate long balls (32) and accurate passes (4) than their illustrious visiotrs.
The hosts' determination paid off in injury time. They were awarded a penalty following a handball, and Valencia made no mistake from the spot.
#4 Lionel Scaloni rings in the changes
With his team already through to the finals, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni made a few changes to his starting XI. Julian Alvarez started on the wing, while Franco Armani was rested, with Gerpnimo Rulli replaced him between the sticks.
The two players put in solid shifts. Alvarez scored the only goal for La Albiceleste, while Rulli made a few good saves and came out strong inside the box. There was nothing he could've done to stop the injury-time penalty from going in, though.
Argentina's squad depth augurs well for their hopes in the quadrennial competition later this winter in Qatar.
#3 Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo De Paul impress again
Rodrigo De Paul and Leandro Paredes enjoy playing together with the national team. They have formed a solid partnership in the middle of the pitch; despite a slow start against Ecuador, they grew into the game.
De Paul, who plays for Atletico Madridis more of a creative midfielder. Meanwhile, Paredes, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), has solid defensive awareness, which complements De Paul well.
De Paul had a 97% pass accuracy and one key pass against Ecuador. He was also fouled five times in the game. Paredes, meanwhile, had a 95% pass accuracy and made two blocks, three clearances and three recoveries in the game.
While the pair were not able to run the game as they did against Venezuela, their chemistry could be a key factor in the World Cup finals in November.
#2 Late VAR drama helps Ecuador secure well-deserved point
Ecuador dominated play for most of the game but struggled for a breakthrough in the final third. They had three shots on target but missed a few of them from close range.
The hosts have scored roughly a third of their goals in the final 15 minutes in the qualifying campaign. They lived up to that reputation with a goal at the death to force a share of the spoils against Argentina.
There was a lengthy VAR check for a potential handball on Nicolas Tagliafico, resulting in an Ecuador penalty. Plataโs header on target looked to have hit the arm of the full-back. Valencia kept his cool to convert from the spot, earning a hard-earned point for La Tri.
#1 Argentina match their longest ever unbeaten run
With the visitors yet to lose during the ongoing qualifiers, they extended their unbeaten run across competitions to 31 games with their draw against Ecuador.
That is their longest unbeaten streak in history, having previously gone 31 games unbeaten between 1991 and 1993 under Coco Basile. The Albiceleste have not lost a game since losing to eventual winners Brazil in the 2019 Copa America semi-final.
ยกHombre rรฉcord! ๐
๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ igualรณ al Coco Basile como el entrenador con el ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐ฬ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ค (๐ฏ๐ญ) ๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐คฬ๐ฃ ๐ผ๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐ท๐
#EliminatoriasSudamericanas https://t.co/XDWDJxciSZ
This is also the longest unbeaten run for any team in international competitions, which bodes well for La Albiceleste heading into the World Cup finals. They will play Brazil in a rematch of their abandoned qualifying fixture before heading to Qatar. That game will be a good test of their title credentials for the finals.