Ecuador |
0 - 1
This match has ended. Upcoming related matches:
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Colombia |
Ecuador vs Colombia Live Streams and TV Channels
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Ecuador vs Colombia Match Preview
Two absentees in South Africa play against each other to sharpen their weapons for the Copa America 2011.
Will the Tricolor be able to stand against Colombia without the presence of Internazionale's defender Ivan Cordoba?
Tricolor's coach Rueda declared "This game is very important for both sides, this is our chance to show what we've been working on, and I believe we're doing it well". He has introduced major modifications in Ecuador's formation, and it is yet to see whether they will pay off or not.
Ecuador's offense has relied heavily in the last few years on Antonio Valencia's unchallenged speed, but Manchester's electric midfielder is ruled out with injuries. Jairo Campos is unlikely to be part of the starting squqad. Finding the right alternative for these aggressive midfielders should be team's coach main objective for this game.
Colombia's manager Hernan Gomez will also introduce three modifications in his offense: Two of them are tactical, Víctor Ibarbo and Adrián Ramos are the chosen ones to lead the advance from the wings, whilst the third one responds to more personal matters: Falcao Garcia delayed his arrival to New Jersey for no real reason, and Colombia's coach punished him for his decision. He'll be making room for Teófilo Gutiérrez to join the attack.
"Teo knows how to play wherever he's standing, he's got a great technique and when he associates with midfielders he can reach the opposing area clearly" stated Gomez.
Regarding his team's form, Hernan Diaz declared "We understand very well with each other, we've got a good mix of experienced players with strong offensive support. We know each other and we know we can do it"
Giovanni Moreno is one of the most dangerous players in the Colombian squad. He's a highly tactical player, over six feet tall and with an endless supply of stamina. Colombia's physical superiority
Colombia and Ecuador will play a pretty balanced game, and the only security is that their creativity will offer a highly exciting game. Whoever wins will be able to feed on the misery of the other and start dreaming with lifting America's most coveted trophy next July.
Ecuador vs Colombia Match Report
Colombia celebrated a clear victory in New Jersey against a rival that could never become a real threat. Giovanni Moreno missed a penalty shot at the beginning of the second half.
Radamel Falcao Garcia proved he deserves his place as Colombia's offensive leader.
Colombia might have not made enough merits to claim the victory, but their excellent defensive work coupled with their tireless offense finally granted Colombia the full scoring. Hernan Gomez celebrates once again victory over Reinaldo Rueda, now sitting on the opposing bench. John Restrepo and Jonh Viáfara were the stars of the game, denying Ecuador's every attempt against Colombia's goal.
Now Colombia plays the United States on Friday while Ecuador visits Montreal to take on Poland.
Ecuador's goalkeeper Máximo Banguera played a flawless game except for the last shot against his goal, which he could not control and the ball was gifted to Falcao. Ecuador dominated the first minutes of the game with beautiful interactions between Walter Ayoví, Joffre Guerrón and Neicer Reascos but Colombia's midfielders were not intimidated and fought back constantly.
The most exciting moment of the game came at the 53th minute when Walter Ayoví touched the ball with his hand inside Ecuador's area. Giovanni Moreno could not score from the 12 yards. Ayovi is a highly experienced player and his small mistake could have cost Rueda's boys the game. The winning goal came in a totally different scenario almost thirty minutes later.
Falcao's delay on joining the National Football Team cost Oporto's striker his position within the starting squad. As the game became more and more tense Colombia's coach knew he'd have to send Falcao to the fields to grab the bull by its horns.
At the 77th minute Falcao took over Adrian Ramos and in only 10 minutes he showed his opportunism in the area to Colombia's coach. He's proven to be a first-tier player and it's likely he'll return to the starting squad after his performance in this game.
Falcao's goal was a bucket of cold water for Ecuador, who were left stunned for the last five minutes and could only witness Colombia walk away with a victory. There's much work to do prior to the Copa America. Matches like this, luckily, offer an excellent chance to test different formations against challenging rivals while playing beautiful football.