Ecuador lost by the minimum against Senegal and said goodbye to Qatar 2022. The team of the Tricolor left good impressions in their first two World Cup matches; however, today they were not at their best and therefore, they are the first South American country to say goodbye to the World Cup.
The team led by Gustavo Alfaro started the international country tournament on the right foot, by defeating the host Qatar in the opening match. Then, they played their best match of the World Cup against the Netherlands, suggesting that their level could match that of the greatest European teams. However, the crucial match of Group A did not go well for the 'Tri'. What happened to Ecuador?
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What was the main mistake that Ecuador made to be eliminated from Qatar 2022?
Ecuador could not maintain the title of "sensation team of Qatar 2022" and was eliminated from the World Cup by a Senegal that played "the game of their lives". Although the criticism is not so harsh after being considered "a young team", what the 'Tri' leaves behind is a bitter taste for what was shown in their first matches.
To understand where the Ecuadorian debacle occurred in the World Cup, we have to go back to the second match of Group A. In other words, the main mistake of Ecuador in Qatar happened on Friday, November 25. Why?
Although they were not the favorites in the match against the Dutch, the course of the game proved otherwise. The Northeners dominated most of the game against the Netherlands and deserved to win. But reality tells us that football doesn't know about deserving and the lack of effectiveness was Ecuador's main mistake to be out of Qatar 2022.
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So, can the match against Senegal not be considered a key mistake for the Northeners? Yes, in part, but the analysis of the game indicates that Ecuador never surpassed the African champions at any moment. Therefore, their direct qualification depended more on the match they had against the former Dutch player.