Ecuador Archives - Tona Today

Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored goals in a nine-minute span in the first half and Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday night to break a 40-year drought without a win in the knockout stage and progressed to the World Cup round of 16.

Quiñones opened the scoring in the 22nd minute while Jiménez added a strike in the 31st minute for the Mexicans, who had not won a knockout-stage match since defeating Bulgaria in the round of 16 when they hosted the tournament in 1986.

Mexico subsequently lost seven consecutive times at that same stage from 1994 to 2018.

In Qatar 2022, they were eliminated in the group stage for the first time since Argentina in 1978.

It was Quiñones third goal of the tournament and he is now El Tri’s second-best scorer in World Cup history behind Luis “Matador” Hernández and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, who scored four each.

Jiménez scored his second goal of the tournament and has 47 with the national team to break a tie with Jared Borgetti. He is five away from tying “Chicharito” Hernández as the all-time leading scorer for Mexico.

Mexico will play another home match Sunday against the winner of Wednesday’s match between England and Congo.

Playing at the iconic Azteca Stadium, the Mexican squad boasts an undefeated record across 10 World Cup matches. Mexico has just two official losses at the venue — the last being a World Cup qualifying defeat to Honduras on Sept. 6, 2013.

With the win, Mexico extended its unbeaten run to 12 games, dating back to a friendly loss against Paraguay in November.

Mexico also became the first CONCACAF side to eliminate a CONMEBOL side in a World Cup knockout match. Teams from South America won the previous five meetings.

Ecuador was trying to advance to the round of 16 for the second time in their history and the first since Germany 2006.

The match started one hour after the original scheduled time due to a thunderstorm.

It was the second match of the tournament affected by weather. A storm during the France-Iraq match at Philadelphia on June 22 caused a 2-hour, 11-minute suspension at the end of the first half. (JapanToday)

Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack, allowing The Blue Wave to earn a 0-0 draw against the heavily favored La Tri on Saturday night and earn the tiny island nation its first-ever World Cup point.

The outcome also allowed Germany, which beat Ivory Coast earlier in the day, to clinch Group E.

The 37-year-old Room, whose shutout of Jamaica last November sent Curacao to its first World Cup, bounced back from a 7-1 loss to Germany with one of the finest performances by a goalkeeper in World Cup history. His save total was one shy of the record — since saves became an official stat in 1966 — of 16 set by Tim Howard of the U.S. against Belgium on July 1, 2014.

The draw doesn’t eliminate either team from knockout play, but it put Ecuador in dire shape going into its group finale. Those matches take place Thursday with Curacao facing Ivory Coast in Philadelphia and Ecuador playing Germany in New York.

Ecuador certainly had a home-field advantage Saturday night at the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Its fanbase, dressed like its players in bright yellow shirts, filled the stadium to the brim, making it look like a convention of Minions. There was only a couple of small pockets of blue-clad Curacao fans in a stadium whose capacity could house half of its island citizenry.

Among those in the crowd were Kansas City Royals players Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Starling Marte.

The pressure mounted on Ecuador earlier Saturday, when Deniz Undav’s goal in stoppage time gave Germany a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. The outcome of that match in Toronto meant that La Tri faced World Cup elimination with a loss to The Blue Wave.

Curacao made sure the pressure continued once play began.

Throughout the first half, 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat’s team kept finding seams through the middle of the Ecuadorean defense, creating open looks at the goal. But each time, Curacao would end the runs with a sloppy pass or a shot wide of net.

Ecuador wasted its best scoring chance in the opening minutes, when World Cup veteran Enner Valencia found nothing between him and the goalkeeper. But Room guessed right, dived to his left and deflected the shot to keep the game scoreless.

The relentless pressure of La Tri picked up in the second half — and each time, Room was standing in the way.

Moises Caicedo forced him into making a spectacular save early on, then Valencia did the same with a well-placed header that Room knocked wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Room made two more sensational saves before Curacao finally cleared it.

It was that kind of night for Room. And that kind of night for Ecuador. (JapanToday)

Tag: Ecuador

Mexico ends a 40-year knockout drought; beats Ecuador 2-0

Curacao, Ecuador draw 0-0