The illusion is over! Ecuador loses to Brazil and is eliminated from the round of 16 of the 2023 U-17 World Cup in Indonesia | Football | Sports

Thanks to a brace from Estévão and a goal from Luigi, the current champions, Brazil, beat Ecuador on Monday and qualified for the quarter-finals of the U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, where they maintain the dream of winning a second successive title and fifth. Star in category.

In a tight match in the Round of 16, Brazil started a bit scattered and struggled to find their rhythm, while the Ecuadorians opted to exchange quick passes in an attempt to break down the defence, with clearer scoring chances in the opening minutes. .

After some concerns Canarina He started to respond and Dodo almost opened the scoring. The determination was rewarded when Estévão, one of the great figures of this World Cup who aspires to play for Barcelona, ​​scored a stunning goal with a cross 14 minutes into the game.

Ecuador remained determined to score its goal, and Elkin Ruiz came close to equalizing the score after an error in releasing the ball to Brazil. The equalizer finally came shortly before the end of the first half and after captain Bermudez scored the first goal for Ecuador amid a barrage of shots.

In the second half, fatigue appeared noticeable among both teams, reinforced by the intense heat that reached 32 degrees in the afternoon in the city of Surakarta, and the pace of the confrontation between the South American U-17 champion and his runner-up slowed down. so far.

A disengaged Brazil fell back asleep and made a series of mistakes – which Ecuador in turn did not know how to capitalize on – although they soon tried to double down on their approaches to the rival area.

The Brazilians were able to increase their lead again through Estevao, with a direct free kick in the 71st minute. He had some luck, as the ball bounced off the Ecuadorian defense.

Luigi, who entered the field to assist Kawa Elias, ensured victory for the Brazilians with a killer shot one minute before the end of the match.

Brazil will face the winner of the match between Argentina and Venezuela in the quarter-finals, which will be held on Tuesday at the Galak Harupat Stadium in Bandung. (Dr)