Sub-17 Update: Luck was on Ecuador’s side

Ecuador miraculously advanced to the next round. After only mustering up a tie against Uruguay, Ecuador had to wait on the Venezuela vs. Chile game. Here is the situation, Chile is playing at home against a disappointing Venezuela side. If Chile wins, Ecuador gets eliminated. If Venezuela wins Ecuador passes to the next round. If they tie, Ecuador passes. The most probable of the three scenarios lucky for us, did not happen, Chile tied against Venezuela and were eliminated from the tournament on their own soil.
Ecuador had enough to win the game, the main person to blame of the draw is the Manager Javier Rodriguez. For most of the tournament Ecuador played with one forward (Celi) the first half and then the second half they subbed in a second forward and play a 4-4-2. However in this crucial game Rodriguez didn’t even bother to put that extra forward until the last 10 minutes of the game when it was too late for him to have any effect on the game. Ecuador had a few chances; One ball hit the post in a free kick and Y.Ordonez missed a sitter when Uruguay’s goalkeeper passed the ball to him in the box by accident and Ordonez’s chip went over the net. Uruguay’s goal came early when the defense was caught off guard and De Los Santos curled it in from a distance. Ecuador’s goal came at the 23rd minute when Celi was fouled near/in the box and a penalty was called. Jonathan De La Cruz made the goal. The last two goals Ecuador has made in the tournament was from the twelve steps. Ecuador was extremely lucky to go to the next round. Unfortunately our Sub-20 wasn’t as lucky since they were eliminated by a coin toss earlier this year in Venezuela and they had a hell of a team.