Ecuador eased past World Cup debutants Qatar 2-0 on Sunday, with two goals from veteran striker Enner Valencia, in the tournament’s first opening-game defeat for a host nation.
Ecuador’s all-time top scorer, nicknamed “Superman” at home, scored an early penalty and added a well-taken 31st-minute header to give the South Americans a commanding first-half lead as the Qataris looked overcome by the enormity of the occasion.
It could have been even worse for the hosts in front of a 67,372 crowd at the tent-shaped Al Bayt Stadium had Valencia, 33, not had a third-minute header disallowed for a marginal offside after goalkeeper Saad Alsheeb had flapped at the ball.
Alsheeb later tripped Valencia when he was through on goal and then dived the wrong way, as the Ecuadorean coolly dispatched the resulting penalty in the 16th minute.
For his second, Valencia was unmarked but still showed great technique in stooping and taking Angelo Preciado’s cross almost from behind him to head past Alsheeb again.
