- The genius of Venezuelan coach Fernando Batista in making two halftime substitutions propelled La Vinotinto to victory.
- Both substitutes scored to give Venezuela a come-from-behind win over 10-man Ecuador.
Highlights
- Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafael Romo made a great save in the 19th minute and then, seconds later, Enner Valencia was sent off following a VAR review.
- Ecuador responded by capitalizing on a poor Venezuelan clearance in the box with an explosive shot from Jeremy Sarmiento, in his Copa América debut, that put La Tri up 1-0.
- Another great save by Romo on Alan Franco in the 60th minute kept Venezuela in the match.
- Jhonder Cádiz and Eduard Bello, who came on at halftime, scored for Venezuela, giving La Vinotinto a great victory to start Group B.
Match summary
On a sunny afternoon in the San Francisco Bay Area, Ecuador and Venezuela kicked off Group B at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The heat was felt by both the fans in the stands and the players on the field, with temperatures reaching 32°C (91° F) at the start of the match.
La Tri started the game very well, dominating possession and creating most of the opportunities early in the match. All of this changed in the 19th minute when Ecuador had their best chance of the match up to that point, with young star Kendry Páez taking an almost point-blank shot that was saved by Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafael Romo. Just a few seconds later, Enner Valencia was sent off following a VAR review.
From there, it was La Vinotinto's turn to control possession and create opportunities. Encouraged by their numerical advantage, they launched one attack after another. However, Venezuela couldn't capitalize on this possession, and Jeremy Sarmiento from Brighton and Hove Albion struck a poor clearance from La Vinotinto's defense into the back of the net to give Ecuador the lead.
To start the second half, Fernando Batista made two changes, bringing on Jhonder Cádiz and Eduard Bello. The decision proved to be brilliant with the young Cádiz scoring his first goal for his country in the 65th minute to tie the game. Cádiz's shot was only Venezuela's second shot on target, it took a slight deflection but it was enough to change the course of the match. Then, in the 75th minute, it was Bello's turn to score, giving La Vinotinto the comeback win, with both of Batista's substitutes scoring. In the end, it was Venezuela who enjoyed their moment in the sun on Friday, while Ecuador will be eager to regroup against Jamaica in their next match.
It was Venezuela's first comeback win in the history of the CONMEBOL Copa América™.
What’s next?
La Tri's second match in Group B will be against Concacaf guest Jamaica, who will play Mexico on June 22 to close the group’s opening matches. Ecuador and the Reggae Boyz will face off at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Wednesday, June 26. As for La Vinotinto, they will play Mexico at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, also on Wednesday, June 26.
Lineups:
Ecuador: Domínguez; Preciado, Torres, Pacho, Hincapié; Caicedo, Franco, Yeboah; Páez, Sarmiento; Valencia.
Used substitutes: Rodriguez, Gruezo, Minda, Caicedo
Cards: Enner Valencia (Red), Sarmiento (Yellow), Paez (Yellow)
Coach: Felix Sanchez
Venezuela: Romo; González, Osorio, Ferraresi, Navarro; Herrera, Martinez; Casseres Jr, Soteldo, Machis; Rondón.
Used substitutes: Bello, Cadiz, Savarino, Ramirez
Cards: Machis (Yellow), Casseres Jr (Yellow)
Coach: Fernando Batista - change on spanish version
Referee: Wilmar Roldán (Colombia)
Venue: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California (USA)
Superior Player of the Match Michelob ULTRA: Salomon Rodon
