The Ecuadorian team beat Saudi Arabia 2-1 this Saturday (30), in New Jersey, in the United States, in a friendly preparatory match for the 2026 World Cup.
With an alternative team, Ecuador started the match under pressure from the Saudis. Even so, the team managed to open the scoring in the 35th minute of the first half, when Jackson Porozo took advantage of a set piece to score with a header.
In the final stage, the Ecuadorians expanded after just six minutes. Anthony Valencia took advantage of a failure by the opponent’s defense when the ball was released and found the back of the net. In the final minutes, Sultan Mandash invaded the area and finished to reduce the score, making the score 2-1.
Upcoming appointments
The Ecuadorian team’s last match before that takes place on June 7th, against Guatemala. “La Tri” is in Group E of the competition, alongside Curaçao and Ivory Coast. Their debut takes place on the 14th, at 8pm (Brasília time), against the Ivorians.
The Saudi team will face Senegal on June 9th, their last preparatory friendly before the World Cup. The country is part of Group H, together with Spain, Cape Verde and Uruguay. The team’s first clash will be on the 15th, at 7pm (Brasília time), against the Uruguayans.
