Argentina fell to Ecuador at the close of the qualifiers

Argentina fell on Tuesday 1-0 against Ecuador at the Banco Pichincha stadium in Guayaquil, for the 18th and last date of the South American qualifiers For the 2026 World Cup.

The world champion did not have a good performance, It cost you a lot to make goal occasions And, except a Giovani Le Celso shot from within the area that, after a rebound, He left only wide, did not bring real danger to the domains of Hernán Galíndez.

It is also true that He did not suffer too much in defense, but Emiliano ‘Del’ Martínez had a couple of key saves. They could only defeat it from the 12 steps, when Enner Valencia executed the prison in the middle And he threw himself to his right.

Ecuador started better

The party process It started very evenwith a slight superiority of Ecuador, which He had the first Clara: Valencia was hand in hand with the draw, which he covered with his right leg.

With greater ball possession, the local team was incisive in the initial tickets of the match, and had Another dangerous situation, when Nilson Angulo faced the middle and shot at the first stick. The drawing, In another barbara reaction, not only did it cover it but He held it.

At 30 minutes the first moment of breakdown arrived, because Valencia escaped alone, from the left to the center and, at the height of the crescent, Nicolás Otamendi came from behind and pushed him.

He cut a manifest goal and the referee, Wilmar Roldán -Orely- He expelled it.

However, It cost the premises to get revenues from the most. On the contrary, he stopped and lost danger.

However, in a play that seemed inconsequential, Nicolás Tagliafico went to fight a center with a precious angel and made the mistake of getting his arm too far. Touched the Ecuadorian before heading the ball and Roldán grabbed that to collect a fairly controversial penalty.

Valencia was responsible for executing the maximum penalty and made it strong to the environmentfar from a Dab Martínez who flew to his right.

Ecuador went to the rest in pure smile. He beat the world champion 1-0 and was with one more player.

The place was complicated only in the second half

As soon as the second part began, the place received a slap. At a cross in the middle of the court, Moisés Caicedo was late and played down Nicolás González. As it was warned, he received the second yellow correctly and had to go to the showers.

The clash was paired from there in every way. The yellow men began to retreat and their attacks became more sporadic.

At 69, He had a bounce to the Celso inside the area and shot first, but the ball touched on a defender and deviated Enough not to enter the arch, when the goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez was already defeated. It was the clearest of the world champion.

Drad Martínez again saved the albiceleste a few moments afterwhen an error by Franco Mastantuono left him face to face with Kevin Rodríguez.

At that time, the meeting of the meeting was already another, with Argentina as dominator and the premises stopped for the counterattack.

However, those of Lionel Scaloni lacked clarity in the last meters and did not generate actions of much danger.

Falsed performance of the world champion, who was noticed by the lack of his great reference, Lionel Messi.