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Tim Vickery, South America correspondent
Two late objectives helped Argentina to a 3-0 win over Ecuador within the quarterfinals of the final Copa América, however the scoreline didn’t replicate the match.
Bodily sturdy, fast and with loads of expertise, Ecuador gave Argentina an uncomfortable 90 minutes, because the victorious coach was fast to acknowledge. After the match, Argentina supervisor Lionel Scaloni paid tribute to the promise of the brand new Ecuadorian era.
Three years down the road, Scaloni can be cautious of assembly them as soon as extra on the quarterfinal stage. Argentina are in by far the simplest half of the draw. The group that almost all threatens their path to the ultimate is the facet they meet on Thursday in Houston — so long as Ecuador can elevate their recreation.
The Ecuadorian group section on this Copa is greatest forgotten. Crushed 2-1 by Venezuela, they performed a scrappy second half and made exhausting work of a 3-1 win over Jamaica, however the objective they scored within the ninetieth minute proved very important. It gave them a objective distinction benefit over Mexico. A draw would have been sufficient to seal their place within the final eight. And grimly and joylessly, Ecuador went concerning the job of protecting the sport goalless.
The technique flirted with catastrophe when the Mexicans have been awarded a penalty within the final minute of stoppage time, however VAR had a glance, and accurately overturned the choice. Ecuador survived to combat one other day, and now have a shot towards the reigning world champions.
Why was their group section so underwhelming?
They needed to dig themselves out of a gap after captain and all-time high scorer Enner Valencia obtained a straight pink card early within the recreation towards Venezuela. Taking part in with ten males for over 70 minutes within the afternoon warmth of Santa Clara proved an excessive amount of, and the marketing campaign obtained off to a shedding begin. This stuff can occur in tournaments. However there are deeper issues.
One is the environment wherein the group are taking part in. After the World Cup, Ecuador appointed Felix Sanchez as their new coach. There was some logic within the selection. A Spaniard, Sanchez has a background within the Barcelona youth ranks, after which frolicked in Qatar’s Aspire academy — the place the methodology is similar to that utilized in Independiente del Valle, the extraordinary little membership from the outskirts of Quito that’s producing so many gamers for the Ecuador nationwide group.
His time in command of Qatar was not a flop — he gained the Asian championship. However the World Cup was not a hit. The host’s marketing campaign started with a defeat to Ecuador. And so why, thought most of the Ecuadorian public, are we appointing a loser to take cost of our group?
Ecuador generally is a very demanding atmosphere. And though the group’s begin to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers has been strong — 3 wins, 2 attracts and one defeat — the standard of play has not been deemed ok. Many need Sanchez out. Some have been overtly hoping for failure within the Copa, forcing the Ecuadorian FA to make a change. That strain has not gone away.
These six rounds of World Cup qualifiers have introduced simply 5 objectives. Right here, Sanchez can supply an excuse. He has at his disposal plenty of good and promising gamers, most of them merchandise of Independiente del Valle. The group of younger centre-backs is spectacular — William Pacho has had a wonderful Copa up to now. However there’s a dearth of sources up entrance.
Ecuador are dependent for objectives on Valencia. The one time Premier League striker has all the time blown cold and hot, and he was additionally over-played in 2022-23, having a effective league season in Turkey both facet of a superb World Cup, after which going straight to the over-cluttered calendar of Brazilian soccer. On the age of 34, it’s hardly stunning that this has taken a toll.
And the opposite centre-forwards are keen runners, however a way brief of top of the range. For this match there may be the added blow of the absence via damage of Brighton’s Pervis Estupiñán, a key participant together with his highly effective runs from fullback and his blistering left foot.
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Sanchez has hardly helped himself on this competitors. His group picks have actually been open to query. The duty of a coach is to construct a collective construction that will get the perfect out of the group’s particular person skills, and this he has up to now been unable to do. The important thing man, the motor of the group, is Chelsea‘s Moisés Caicedo. He has tried mightily to make the group work, however he has an excessive amount of floor to cowl.
Caicedo has been working as a part of a central midfield duo, when three are wanted in there to get the perfect out of him. With additional safety behind him, Caicedo can use his lung energy operating ahead, creating issues for the opposing defence and linking the facet collectively.
The bottom formation Sanchez has used is 4-2-3-1, permitting him a line behind the striker of a winger on the precise plus each of his younger playmakers, Jeremy Sarmiento on the left and 17 12 months previous wonderkid Kendry Páez within the center. This has not labored, though each have had moments. Sarmiento, although, has not been fast sufficient to mix together with his teammates, and Paez has been squeezed in a zone of the sphere the place the marking is tightest. As a consequence, the entire of Ecuador is including as much as lower than the sum of its elements.
There would appear to be an answer, although. At half time of their match towards Mexico, Venezuela switched from an ineffective 4-2-3-1 so as to add the additional man in central midfield. They began to take management, and went on to win the sport. It was unusual that Ecuador didn’t observe swimsuit.
As an alternative, Sanchez dropped a winger towards the Mexicans, performed an additional striker and pushed Sarmiento and Paez out to the flanks — the place they have been too far aside to mix, and with all the pieces stretched out, Caicedo was unable to affix the elements collectively. However Ecuador — and Sanchez — are nonetheless alive within the competitors to have one other likelihood at discovering the precise mix. The logical step could be to play three within the centre of midfield — competing with Argentina the place they’re strongest — subject one fast winger and go away one among Paez and Sarmiento on the bench.
One other method to pack the midfield could be with a again three — a formation that Sanchez likes, and which he used lower than a month in the past in a heat up pleasant towards Argentina in Chicago. The issue there was the absence of strikers. Paez and Sarmiento fashioned the entrance line. With no bodily presence alongside them, they have been unable to carry on to the ball and Ecuador couldn’t get out of their very own half. On this event Argentina’s victory was way more convincing than the meagre 1-0 scoreline.
However after an hour Valencia got here off the bench and the group switched to a 4-3-2-1. All of the sudden, it was a special recreation. Ecuador might advance down the sphere and the surging runs of Valencia apprehensive the Argentina protection.
If Ecuador can reproduce one thing like that, then there’s a slight likelihood of an upset, and the risk exists of Argentina being unable to defend their Copa América title.