0-0 (5-4): Japan eliminates Gallardo’s Ecuador
The football team Ecuadorwhom he trains Marcelo Gallardolost this Thursday to Japan in a tight 4-5 penalty shootout, after tying 0-0 in regulation time at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, a result that will lead La Tri to play the match for third place in the Kirin Cup against Panama.
The Argentinian Marcelo Gallardo He still hasn’t achieved his first victory at the head of the tricolor team and that Ecuador He took to the field thirsting for revenge against Japan, whom he has not been able to beat since 1996, and wanting to make up for the recent 3-0 defeat against South Korea. But if the friendly duel started with possession and rhythm, Japan He soon managed to turn the tables and threaten to move the scoreboard.
The Japanese tried it Yuito Suzuki in the 24th minute, chaining together a clean combination of three passes, with a shot on goal that went wide.
A new play by the Blue Samurai in just ten minutes once again threatened to score a goal, the clearest opportunity of the match so far, if it had not been for the providential save by the La Tri goalkeeper, Hernán Galindezwho flew to put in a miraculous hand and keep his goal at zero.
JAPAN
0 (5)
0 (4)
Japan: Zion Suzuki Ko Itakura, Ayumu Seko, Hiroki Ito; Ritsu Doan (Junya Ito, m.68), Kaishu Sano (Kento Shiogai, m.86), Ao Tanaka (Daizen Maeda, m.79), Keito Nakamura (Yuki Soma, m.79); Takefusa Kubo (Daichi Kamada, m.68), Yuito Suzuki (Junnosuke Suzuki, m.68); Kaina Tanimura (Ayase Ueda, m.46)
Ecuador: Hernán Galindez; Pervis Estupiñán, Willian Pacho, Jackson Porozo, Alan Franco (Félix Torres Caicedo, d. 46); John Mercado (Anthony Valencia, m.79), Jordy Alcivar (Denil Castillo, m.67), Pedro Vite, Keny Arroyo (Juan Riquelme Angulo, m.67); Nilson Angulo (Alan Minda, m.86), John Yeobah (Jeremy Sarmiento, m.67)
Referee: The Thai Wiwat Jumpaoon. He admonished the Ecuadorian John Yeboah
Incidents: International friendly within the framework of the Kirin Challenge Cup held at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama
The South American team found its answer in the 36th minute with flashes from Keny Arroyo and Nilson Angulo on the left wing, whose dangerous center into the six-yard box found no one to finish.
The tie continued in the second half of the match, despite changes to revolutionize the attack by both coaches, sending the semi-final directly to a penalty shootout in Yokohama.
Ecuadorian Jordy Caicedo opened the series by overtaking La Tri, but the turning point came with the intervention of Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who stopped Byron Castillo’s charge. The Japanese Daizen Maeda did not miss the decisive shot to seal the complete success of the Blue Samurai.
The host team thus obtained a pass to the final next Monday, where New Zealand is already waiting for a rival after having eliminated Panama in the penalty shootout this Thursday.
