FIFA World Cup 2022: Ecuador Defeats Host Qatar in the Opening Match

By BERT HOOVER First Posted: Nov 21, 2022 12:02 AM EST

Qatar became the first host of the FIFA World Cup to lose their opening match, falling to Ecuador by a score of 2-0 at the Al Bayt Stadium.

The South Americans' campaign got off to a great start with a brace from Enner Valencia, and they cruised to victory behind their dominant play.

The Ecuador team handled the contentious situation with grace and confidence, setting the tempo with minimal input from their Qatari counterparts.

Moises Caicedo and Pervis Estupinan of Brighton and Hove Albion offered to drive, and cleverness in the engine room and down the left as Gustavo Alfaro's team threatened to pile up a cricket score.

However, they held scoring to a minimum and slowed down in preparation for future, more challenging encounters.

It is the worst possible start for Felix Sanchez's Qatar, according to Eurosport.

Within three minutes, Valencia thought he had opened the scoring for the tournament by heading in a free kick from Estupinan following a scramble in the penalty box. Still, VAR suddenly denied the goal for a highly dubious offside.

But on 16 minutes, justice was served for the Ecuador team when a nervous home goalkeeper, Saad Al-Sheeb, brought down onrushing Valencia, leading to a penalty.

The former West Ham and Everton striker calmly slotted the penalty, and then, shortly after the half-hour mark, he put his team up 2-0 with a glancing header into the far corner of an Angelo Preciado cross.

On the cusp of halftime, Hassan Al Haydos crossed the ball dangerously near the goal, but the closest the home team came was when Almoez Ali mishandled the ball.

Just before the hour mark, Romario Ibarra hit a curler that compelled Al-Sheeb to make a decent save.

Arsenal and Liverpool Target Ecuador's Moises Caicedo To Be Top Player, Says Legendary Striker Alan Shearer

Former England and Newcastle United midfielder Alan Shearer informed BBC Sport that Arsenal and Liverpool were interested in signing Caicedo before he played for his country in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

Caicedo has stunned the Premier League this year, and Shearer previewed his future success before the curtain went up.

According to Shearer, Caicedo is the heart and soul of this young team, and he thinks he will be a brilliant player at the highest level. He is only 21 years old, per The Boot Room.

Two years ago, he made his debut, and the manager immediately put him in charge of man-marking Lionel Messi.

He is versatile, with good athleticism, the ability to tackle and pass, and an eye for the game.

Caicedo's strong showing against Qatar will not result in a significant transfer away from the Seagulls.

However, the FIFA World Cup is a significant factor in what appears to be his actual breakthrough.

Shearer claims that he has exceptionally high potential. He is now playing for his club and country; therefore, he can only improve from here.

Fans React to Qatar's Defeat at the Opening of FIFA World Cup 2022

Qatar was the only host nation in World Cup history to lose its opening game, despite taking only five shots (and none on target). The team had just two touches inside the opponent's penalty area.

Some of the Qatari fans who exited the stadium looked stunned by the result.

"So, so bad. Everything leading up to the game was great. But that performance was very bad," Qatar fan Ahmed al-Darwish told Al Jazeera. "I grew up watching football. I love football, but that was disappointing. Really disappointing. The whole world was watching us."

Qatari supporter Ahmed Ibrahim could not wait for the next match. The Netherlands will take on Qatar on November 29 and Senegal in five days.

"We need to be better prepared tactically," he said. "We have stronger teams coming up."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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