Enner Valencia scored a brace to help Ecuador produce one of the most comfortable football scores of the weekend in the World Cup. Focus shifted to the playing field as Qatar 2022 got underway after months of controversy in the run-up to the competition, but there was no solace for the hosts because they were utterly outplayed during their first-ever World Cup encounter. Ecuador captain Valencia made history by scoring the game’s opening goal from the penalty spot (16) after having a third-minute header disallowed for offside. He then added a magnificent headed second to bring his total of World Cup finals goals to five (31).
After goalkeeper Saad Al-poor Sheeb’s punched clearing, Valencia headed Ecuador ahead inside three minutes of the start. However, the goal was disallowed due to an offside that was first overlooked. The Qatari reprieve was brief. Al-Sheeb, the goalkeeper, hesitated to challenge Valencia as he approached the area, which led to him carelessly tripping the Ecuadorian striker. Valencia then picked himself up and casually stroked in the ensuing penalty, marking the first time a World Cup’s opening goal came from a penalty.
Just after the half-hour mark, Valencia stooped to head Angelo Preciado’s cross emphatically into the Qatar net for his and Ecuador’s second, emphasizing the difference in quality between the two teams. After hyperextending his knee late in the first half, Valencia’s game appeared to be over before it even began, but he would go on to play another 30 rather uneventful minutes until succumbing to the injury. However, the hosts made up for their lack of offensive production with a determined defensive effort in the second half that stopped Ecuador from causing further embarrassment. Unfortunately, this was not enough to prevent Qatar from making unwanted World Cup history.
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