In what quickly turned into an ill-disciplined affair at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado on Thursday night, Brazil had to settle for a single point away at a rugged Ecuador side.
Despite watching Real Madrid ace Casemiro open the scoring with just six minutes on the clock, the south American giants were left hugely frustrated after seeing controversial moments at both ends of the pitch.
With Ecuador moving one step closer to joining Brazil and booking their spot at this year’s World Cup finals out in the Middle East, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Thursday’s action-packed affair in Quito.
Back-to-back qualifying stalemates for Brazil
Signing off 2021 with a 0-0 stalemate against bitter rivals Argentina, Brazil boss Tite had made it clear that he was calling on his side to lay down a marker at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado on Thursday night.
Already breezing their way to this year’s World Cup finals with plenty of time to spare, the Yellows couldn’t have got off to a better start as midfield talisman Casemiro bundled them ahead with just six minutes on the clock.
However, while the south American heavyweights might have managed to extend on their unbeaten qualifying run in Quito, their star-studded squad were left visibly frustrated at the final whistle.
With the likes of Premier League superstars Thiago Silva, Philippe Coutinho, Fred and Raphina might have all got a start on foreign soil here, Tite would have been disappointed to have seen his side fail to extend on their advantage.
However, playing at such a high altitude in Quito and clearly struggling to deal with the demands, a leggy Brazil should have been glad to leave with their 14-match unbeaten run still intact.
Able to hand 39-year-old veteran Dani Alves a shock return on Thursday night, the Yellows will be next seen on February 2nd when they welcome Paraguay to the Mineirao.
Ecuador show their resolve
Enduring what was a nightmare qualifying run back in 2018 and eventually having to settle for an eighth-place finish, there are no doubts that Ecuador have continued to impress almost everyone across south America this time around.
Really gaining a reputation for their rugged approach since bringing in Head Coach Gustavo Alfaro last year, La Tricolor put in another eye-catching display on home soil here.
With captain and one-time West Ham man Enner Valencia missing a golden chance from point-blank range minutes before Casemiro opened the scoring, Ecuador’s early setback certainly didn’t dampen the mood in Quito.
Backed by a vocal support at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado after being allowed a 50% capacity, Alfaro’s men asked a host of questions against a Brazil side that boasted a string of European superstars.
Watching Felix Torres send the home support into overdrive after powering in his header from a corner with a quarter of an hour left on the clock, it is hard to argue that the Tricolors were not more than worthy of their point in midweek.
Looking to build off of the positives that they showed here, Ecuador will now simply be looking to finish off the job and punch their ticket to this year’s World Cup finals.
Two red cards and a lucky Alisson
Watching Ecuador keeper Alexander Dominguez get shown a straight red card after just 16 minutes for a dangerously high boot on Matheus Cunha, Thursday’s meeting quickly turned into an ill-disciplined affair.
However, while Brazil might have been handed an early advantage thanks to Dominguez’s sending off, the game was almost immediately equaled out after a pair of rash challenges from Tottenham’s Emerson Royal.
Shown his second booking and also given his marching orders just four minutes after Dominguez’s opening red card, referee Wilmar Roldan certainly had all eyes on him in midweek.
On a night of real VAR controversy, there is no doubt that Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker will consider himself extremely lucky.
Only minutes after his Premier League compatriot was given his marching orders, the 29-year-old thought he was the match’s third red card for a high boot, but after a VAR review, the referee changed his decision to a booking.
However, putting in another nervy display during the second-half, Alisson was remarkably saved for a second time when Roldan overturned a last-gasp penalty for Ecuador and once again rescinded his red card.
Match Report:
Ecuador: Dominguez, Preciado, Torres, Hincapie, Estupinan, Franco, M. Gruezo, Caicedo, Plata, Estrada, Valencia
Subs: R. Calcedo, Galíndez, Mendez, Preciado, Carabalí
Brazil: Alisson, Emerson, Millitao, Silva, Sandro, Raphina, Fred, Casemiro, Junior, Cunha, Coutinho
Subs: Alves, Jesus, Antony, Barbosa
Goals: Ecuador: Torres 75′ – Brazil: Casemiro 6′
Yellow Cards: Ecuador: Caicedo, Valencia – Brazil: Emerson, Raphina, Millitao, Alisson
Red Cards: Ecuador: Dominguez – Brazil: Emerson
Referee: Wilmar Roldan
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