Canada’s preparations to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup continued this evening, with the CONCACAF side playing out a nil-nil affair against growing CONMEBOL power Ecuador.
Scorers: N/A
Sent off: Ahmed 6′
Jesse Marsch’s Les Rouges got off to the worst start imaginable at BMO Field, with Vancouver’s Ali Ahmed receiving a straight red in just the sixth minute of action for what was deemed a reckless challenge.
Despite a disastrous start, Tani Oluwaseyi nearly opened the scoring seven minutes later for the home side, but his ferocious first-time hit was well saved by Hernán Galindez.
The chance not taken by the Villarreal man would go down as the only opportunity of note across a disappointing 45 minutes, and it would take Ecuador until the 57th minute to come close in their own right, but a lung-busting, backtracking run from Richie Laryea would brilliantly snuff out the attacking move.
Marsch would roll the dice in the 79th minute with a trio of changes in a bid to freshen up the attack before bringing on star midfielder Stephen Eustáquio to see out the nil-nil result on home soil.
All told, it was a decent result against an Ecuador side that finished second in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying, with expectations surrounding La Tri growing by the month with talents the likes of Moisés Caicedo, Kendry Páez, Piero Hincapié, and Pedro Vite in their ranks.
Up next for Canada, a test against Venezuela in Miami this weekend, with Ecuador set to face New Zealand on Tuesday.
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