Venezuela's late surge topples 10-man Ecuador 2-1 in Copa America Group B opener

Substitute heroics seal comeback victory after Valencia’s early red card drama.

Ecuador kicked off Group B action at the 2024 Copa America against Venezuela in an exciting contest at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

Both teams started aggressively, battling for possession and creating goal-scoring opportunities. Ecuador entered as slight favorites, but the match took a dramatic turn in the 22nd minute when striker Enner Valencia received a straight red card for a strong challenge on Venezuela’s José Martínez, reducing Ecuador to 10 men.

Venezuela capitalized on their numerical advantage, intensifying their attack and applying constant pressure. Ecuador coach Félix Sánchez made a bold tactical move in the 35th minute, substituting winger John Yeboah for striker Kevin Rodríguez.

The gamble paid off quickly. In the 40th minute, following a set-piece situation, Brighton winger Jeremy Sarmiento gave Ecuador a shock 1-0 lead with a right-footed finish from the center of the box. Ecuador managed to maintain their advantage through a yellow card-filled first half.

Also read: Top five countries with most Copa América titles

The second half commenced with two Venezuelan changes as Fernando Batista’s side looked to find a way back into the game. These half-time substitutions proved to be game-changing, as in the 64th minute, Salomón Rondón found substitute Jhonder Cádiz, who struck a sweet bottom right corner finish to level the game 1-1.

The leveller shifted the momentum in favour of Venezuela, who just 10 minutes later completed the comeback through another substitute, Eduard Bello, who too executed a bottom right corner placement from the six-yard box to give Venezuela a 2-1 lead going into the final quarter of the game. a second-half comeback to claim all three points and start their 2024 edition in perfect fashion.

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