RSSInterionation Friendly Related Content
Ecuador vs Colombia 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.
The game didn't offer much excitement until the last minutes, when both teams decided to fight for the victory. Oporto's striker Radamel Falcao Garcia score the winning goal on the 87th minute to give Hernan Gomez's boys an important victory preluding next year's Copa America's fight.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.
Japan vs Argentina Report
Alberto Zaccheroni's Samurais claimed an important victory against Sergio Batista's Argentina. Albiceleste's coach lost more than a victory as the defeat came with the bitterness of Diego Milito, Esteban Cambiasso and Mario Bolatti's injury.
"I'm really happy, this game was very important for us. I told my players before the match that if they believed in themselves, they could make it. And they proved I wasn't wrong" stated Zaccheroni. Shinji Okazaki score the winning goal early on th 18th minute of the game. Makoto Hasebe shot against Sergio Romero's goal, and the Argentinean goalkeeper left the ball bouncing inside the box. Okazaki caught it and send it straight into the net, giving the hosts a decisive advantage.
Argentina was close from finding the equalizer with Lionel Messi, but Barcelona's star felt isolated in the offense: Andres D'Alessandro could not communicate properly with the rest of the team. Gonzalo Higuain replaced Diego Milito when the first half was almost over, but nothing changed.
Ecuador vs Colombia Preview
Two absentees in South Africa play against each other to sharpen their weapons for the Copa America 2011.
Ecuador and Colombia travel to New Jersey with many surprises in both teams. Colombia's coach Reinaldo Rueda and his rival Hernan Gomez bring the morbid element to the game, for their past links them both with their opponents. Ivan Cordoba and Antonio Valencia are the great two absents in this American clash.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.