Honduras 1-2 Ecuador: Enner Valencia's great achievement
Striker Enner Valencia's brace brought Ecuador back from the dead with a remarkable comeback win over Honduras, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the round of 16.
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| Enner Valencia shines to help Ecuador make a successful comeback |
Despite being considered the weakest team in Group E, Honduras proved that they are not an easy opponent, especially in the crucial matches. Playing with their strongest squad against Ecuador, Honduras immediately showed their determination to create a surprise, with an aggressive style of play from the start. The two teams played back-and-forth in the first 30 minutes, but it was the Central American team that opened the scoring first.
In the 31st minute, starting from a strong clearance by defender Beckeles, striker Costly took advantage of a mistake by Ecuadorian defender Erazo to control the ball, steal the ball and unleash a powerful left-footed shot into the near corner of goalkeeper Dominguez's goal, opening the score for Honduras.
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However, the joy was short-lived, just 3 minutes later, Ecuador responded. In the 34th minute, center-back Paredes had a low ball, half-pass, half-shot into the 16m50 box, the ball went through the legs of 4 Honduran players, before finding Enner Valencia in a very open position. This striker did not miss the opportunity, bringing the match back to the starting line.
The second half took place with a game not much different from the first half, when Honduras still showed their discomfort. Meanwhile, Ecuador did not have many notable attacking situations. However, they had Enner Valencia for set pieces. In the 65th minute, from Ayovi's free kick to the left wing, Enner Valencia jumped high and headed the ball accurately, raising the score to 2-1 for Ecuador.
The final minutes of the match saw Honduras push forward fiercely in search of an equalizer, but they were lacking in the final touches. There were no further goals until the end of the match. This result helped Ecuador move up to second place in Group E, level on points with Switzerland but with a better goal difference. They will need a positive result against France in the final match to decide their fate.
LINE-UP:
Honduras:Valladares, Beckeles, Bernardez, Figueroa, Izaguirre (Juan Garcia 46'), Oscar Garcia (Chavez 82'), Garrido (Mario Martinez 71'), Claros, Espinoza, Bengtson, Costly.
Ecuador:Dominguez, Paredes, Guagua, Erazo, Walter Ayovi, Antonio Valencia, Minda (Gruezo 83'), Noboa, Montero (90'+2), Caicedo (Mendez 82'), Enner Valencia.