Venezuela beats Ecuador 2-1 in Qatar 2022 qualifiers – Edwar’s goosebump moment

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Victory in Venezuela

The Venezuelan national soccer team showed its strength on October 10th and defeated Ecuador 2-1 at home on the fifth day of the South American qualifiers for the Qatar World Cup. It was a match marked by rain in the first 45 minutes and with a smaller crowd than in previous matches.

Venezuelan midfielder Eduard Bello, the star of the match, scored a goal for the Vinotinto in the 63rd minute with a free kick from more than 15 meters away. In the 45th minute, Bello himself had already assisted Darwin Machís with a cross from the right flank to open the scoring for Venezuela. Ecuador’s all-time leading scorer, Enner Valencia, scored the first goal with a penalty kick in the 36th minute.

Venezuela’s reunion with victory

This match was Venezuela’s reunion with victory eleven months after their last win, and it put a damper on the Ecuadorian national team’s progress towards the World Cup.

The locals, full of doubts, with an interim coach, Leonardo Gonzalez, and without their great star, Yeferson Soteldo, a last-minute substitute, took the field to face an opponent that had just beaten Bolivia.

Beyond the problems accumulated during the last few matchdays, Venezuela was to get rid of the “Cinderella” label against Ecuador, which came hungry for victory to consolidate its good streak and made the first 45 minutes a back-and-forth duel, with chances for both teams.

However, the first goal was controversial, the result of a rigorous penalty committed by Adrian Martinez on Gonzalo Plata, which was reviewed at length in the VAR by Uruguayan referee Andres Cunha.

Enner Valencia shot a hard shot from the penalty spot, halfway down the left of goalkeeper Wuilker Faríñez, who, despite guessing the Ecuadorian’s intention, was unable to prevent the first goal of the match.

The Vinotinto did not give up though, continuing to look for space behind their rivals’ backs. Their reward came in the 45th minute, when the hyperactive Eduard Bello received a filtered pass inside the area and, almost on the end line, gave the ball back.

There, Darwin Machís found him, much smarter than the Ecuadorian defense, who, in the center of the six-yard box, pushed the ball into the net to the delight of the few Venezuelan fans present in the stadium.

After the halftime break, the dynamic changed a little, with Venezuela seeming to gradually gain control of the match and the spaces. As a result of this control came the big surprise when, in the 63rd minute, Bello took a long-range free kick from the right side that the Ecuadorian goalkeeper did not expect.

Goalkeeper Moisés Ramírez reacted late and poorly to end up becoming the necessary accomplice of a goal that few suspected.