A goal by Ronald Hernández in the 91st minute sealed this Sunday in Rio de Janeiro a new draw, this one by 2-2, for Venezuela in three games played in the Copa América, and in the process spoiled Ecuador’s recovery plans, which of six possible points barely rescued one.
Venezuela arrived limited by the covid-19 outbreak and the injury confirmed yesterday of another star, Yangel Herrera, who already shows an infirmary with a dozen players who could make up a good starting team.
Ecuador, fresher after having a day of rest, went out to besiege the rival goal. Around the goal, Venezuela entrenched itself, which came out again with five defenses and little tactical order in a very diminished and almost improvised team for this Copa América.
Crouching low, the Vinotinto players waited for their chances on the counterattack, but were unable to find the necessary rhythm in the first half.
Nor did Ecuador, which sought in every possible way, showed itself capable of finding holes in the Venezuelan defense and, when they were worried by their rivals, they showed fragility to withdraw.
La Tri was reunited with the goal in the 38th minute, when Pervis Estupiñán launched a long free kick that showed the weaknesses of a Venezuelan defense, improvised and rebuilt several times by injuries and covid-19.
After two heads, the ball reached Robert Arboleda who finished off the ball, then without an owner, but Wuilker Fariñez managed to stop it shortly before colliding with his rival, an action in which his teammates saw a foul on the goalkeeper.
The rebound of the second rebound fell to Ángelo Preciado, absolutely alone in the small area, where, with the goalkeeper defeated after the first shots and some defenders that seemed more like luxury spectators, he only had to push the ball to the back of the nets.
With the 0-1 and two faltering teams, the players went to the locker rooms.
Just six minutes after returning to the playing field, José Martínez received a ball on the right wing from which he launched a cross into the area that seemed measured for the head of Edson Castillo.
The Venezuelan arrived in the race and, very alone in the very center of the area, finished off with a superb header that put the ball far from the hands of Pedro Ortiz.
Shortly after, the controversy took shape again when, in a hard foul by Enner Valencia, Vinotinto demanded that the referee show him the second yellow. The Chilean Roberto Tobar did not listen to the complaints and the Tri player continued on the green.
When Venezuela played its best minutes in the tournament and had Ecuador locked in defense, Gonzalo Plata hit a ball after a corner from Vinotinto that smelled like a goal.
Fresh, because he had entered the field minutes before, Plata drove the ball with great speed from his court and was left alone in front of Fariñez who, very skillfully, cleared in hand-to-hand.
The ball fell to Christian Noboa, also just entered the field and who had closely followed the career of his teammate, who made the second shot. However, Fariñez, again, cleared, but the ball fell to Plata, a few steps from the goal line, to score the second of the game.
The Ecuadorians were already celebrating the victory, when José Peseiro moved his bench to introduce the most offensive team in the Vinotinto in this Copa América.
And he was right. In the 91st minute, Edson Castillo put a cross from the center of the field that the newly entered Ronald Hernández, faster than the centrals of La Tri, finished off with a head to score the final 2-2.
Ecuador then launched in search of the winning goal but, again, Fariñez dressed as a superhero to close the result.
With this tie, Venezuela is in third position with two points and Ecuador, which has one game less, is fourth with one.