Qatar 0-2 Ecuador: 5 hits and flops as captain Enner Valencia scores twice to lead Ecuador to a memorable win | 2022 FIFA World Cup
Qatar, the hosts of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, were handed a reality check by Ecuador in the campaign opener as Enner Valencia's first-half brace ensured a comfortable win for the South American nation.
Ecuador got the game off to a solid start and almost took the lead right off the gate through Valencia, only for it to be ruled out offside by a very narrow margin. The visitors only increased their tempo after this.
⏱ Ecuador take the points in our first game at #Qatar2022!
@adidasfootball | #FIFAWorldCup
Qatar struggled to deal with the visitors' attacking play and failed to defend simple crosses into the box. Ecuador got a golden chance to take the lead when Valencia was brought down inside the box by goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb, leading to a penalty.
Al Sheeb was shown a yellow card for the foul. Valencia, who was wearing the captain's armband for La Tri calmly dispatched the ball into the right corner to register himself on the scoresheet.
After some pushback from the hosts, backed by huge roars from the home crowd, the visitors struck again. Valencia scored a beautiful header, this time guiding the ball into the bottom left corner.
Ecuador looked solid in the final third and tried to build an attack every time they had the ball. Qatar, on the other hand, struggled to produce any fruitful play in the attacking department and registered zero shots on target.
Ecuador are the first team in the World Cup's 92-year history to beat the hosts in their opening game of the tournament. 😤
#ECU #FIFAWorldCup https://t.co/y4nxbPOcXE
As the Maroons become the first host nation to lose their opening game in the history of the FIFA World Cup, we take a look at the five hits and flops from a rather one-sided game.
#5 Flop - Almoez Ali | Qatar
Almoez Ali has the most goals for Qatar among active players and there were high hopes for the Al-Duhail striker. While he is not single-handedly responsible for his team's poor outing in front of goal, he struggled against a well-drilled and energetic defense from Gustavo Alfaro's men.
He played 72 minutes but had the fewest touches (14) of any player on the pitch who was fielded in the starting XI. He also completed just 55% of his passes and was able to register just one goal attempt.
He was also deprived of service, which might explain his poor performance in the game, but given his importance to the team, he should have stepped up.
#4 Hit - Angelo Preciado | Ecuador
Angelo Preciado was part of a four-man defense fielded by Gustavo Alfaro and he produced an extremely impressive performance on the right flank.
He was rarely out of position and contributed intelligently to the attack. He picked up the assist for Valencia's second goal with a crisp cross. He completed five recoveries throughout the game and was dribbled past just once.
#3 Flop - Saad Al Sheeb | Qatar
The pressure of playing at the FIFA World Cup seemed to have gotten the better of Saad Al Sheeb as he looked a bit shaky between the sticks from the get-go. He was a bit slow to react to Ecuador's attacks and committed a few errors in the box as well.
He made the wrong decision to charge ahead in trying to punch the ball away in the fifth minute, and in the aftermath, Valencia headed the ball into an empty net. Fortunately for him, the goal was disallowed.
Just 10 minutes later, he rushed forward to challenge Valencia, when he stood a better chance of saving the shot had he stayed put and covered his near post. While his defenders did not do him any favors, he made errors throughout the game that will need to be looked at and improved going forward.
#2 Hit - Pervis Estupinan | Ecuador
Ecuador utilized the flanks very well in the game, and Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Pervis Estupinan helped them shut down Qatar completely on the left flank. Estupinan had the most touches of any player on the pitch (88) and was running up and down the left flank throughout the game.
Pervis Estupiñán for Ecuador against Qatar:
◉ Most touches (88)
◉ Most final ⅓ passes (19)
◉ Most passes into final ⅓ (11)
◉ Most passes into opp. box (10)
◎ Joint-most tackles made (4)
◎ Joint-most clearances (3)
Left side on lock. 🔒
#ECU #FIFAWorldCup https://t.co/uyNLxY2hyD
He completed most passes into the opposition box (10) and also fulfilled his duties in the defensive third with four tackles and three clearances.
#1 Hit - Enner Valencia | Ecuador
Enner Valencia stole the show in the campaign opener and showed his class with two good goals. He kept his cool to open the scoring with a well-taken penalty and timed his jump to perfection to double the lead in the 31st minute. He could've had a hat trick but saw an early goal disallowed by VAR.
Ecuador create history! 🙌🇪🇨
#Ecuador #FIFAWorldCup #Qatar2022 #QATECU https://t.co/zxfftdNUlN
Valencia getting on the scoresheet seemed almost inevitable as he had scored the last three goals in the World Cup for La Tricolor. He delivered a true captain's performance in this game and will be looking to continue his form going forward.