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| June 11, 2006 | Sunday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 14, 1427 |
Ecuador shock Poland
GELSENKIRCHEN, June 10: Ecuador produced the first shock of the World Cup in the tournament's second match when they beat Poland 2-0 with goals in each half by Carlos Tenorio and Agustin Delgado in Group A on Friday.
After Tenorio scored in the 24th minute Ecuador, ranked fourth among the South American qualifiers and competing in the finals for the second time, had to show terrific defensive fortitude to hold off the Poles in the second half.
Delgado then settled it with 10 minutes remaining to put Ecuador alongside Germany at the top of the group on three points after the hosts beat Costa Rica 4-2 in the tournament's exciting opening match earlier on Friday in Munich.
It was only Ecuador's second competitive win away from the rarefied atmosphere of Quito since the last World Cup but if they repeat it against Costa Rica next week they could reach the second round even if they lose to Germany in their final game.
For Poland it was a painful repeat of four years ago when they opened with a 2-0 defeat by hosts South Korea and failed to progress to the last 16.
To the huge disappointment of their superb fans, who were full of colour and very noisy at the start, they seem set for another early flight home having failed to score in their opening match for the fifth time in a row.
It was not a situation that appeared likely in the first 20 minutes as the Poles looked confident and controlled.
However, as they failed to trouble goalkeeper Christian Mora, Ecuador also settled into their game and were rewarded with a well-created goal in the 24th minute.
Ulises De La Cruz launched a long throw into the box, Delgado flicked it on and Tenorio timed his run perfectly to glance a header past Boruc.
The goal stunned the Poles and they had to weather a storm for the rest of the half as Ecuador pressed for a second.
They should have got it when Carlos Tenorio crossed for Delgado, who sidefooted over the bar from close range.
Poland coach Pawel Janas, who began the match with Maciej Zurawski as a lone striker in a cautious approach, pushed Ebi Smolarek up in support after the break.
They certainly looked more dangerous but the final ball was too often loose and, when they did close in, the Ecuadorean back four proved athletically adept at getting the vital touch.
As the Poles pushed forward they were caught out by substitute Ivan Kaviedes who broke on the right and rolled the ball for Delgado to touch into an empty net.
It was exactly four years to the day that Delgado scored Ecuador's first ever goal at a World Cup finals.
Poland continued to press but knew it was not their night when substitute Ireneusz Jelen smacked a shot against the bar and Pawel Brozek saw his curling effort rebound from a post.
While the Poles must try to pick themselves up before facing the hosts in Dortmund next Wednesday, Ecuador can look forward to a Hamburg Latin party against Costa Rica the same day.
Teams:
POLAND: 1-Artur Boruc; 4-Marcin Baszczynski, 6-Jacek Bak (c), 2-Mariusz Jop, 14-Michal Zewlakow; 10-Miroslaw Szymkowiak, 16-Arek Radomski, 7-Radoslaw Sobolewski (21-Ireneusz Jelen (67)), 8-Jacek Krzynowek (5-Kamil Kosowski (78)); 15-Ebi Smolarek, 9-Maciej Zurawski (23-Pawel Brozek (84)).
ECUADOR: 12-Christian Mora; 4-Ulises de la Cruz, 3-Ivan Hurtado (c, 2-Jorge Guagua (69)), 17-Giovanny Espinoza, 18-Neicer Reasco; 8-Edison Mendez, 14-Segundo Castillo, 20-Edwin Tenorio, 16-Luis Antonio Valencia; 11-Agustin Delgado (6-Patricio Urrutia (83)), 21-Carlos Tenorio (10-Ivan Kaviedes (65))
Referee: Toru Kamikawa (Japan).—Reuters
Group A standings
(Tabulated under played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):
Germany 1 1 0 0 4 2 3
Ecuador 1 1 0 0 2 0 3
Costa Rica 1 0 0 1 2 4 0
Poland 1 0 0 1 0 2 0
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