itsbeautifuloutside

Honduras v Ecuador

Curitiba, 20th June 2014

Match Report

I’ll be honest, I probably would have given this one a miss if I hadn’t committed to writing an IBO report, but it was actually a decent game. Joe Speight is the ITV commentator, I’d not heard him before the tournament and I find him quite annoying, he sounds like a local radio DJ, doing a Smashie and Nicey voice where he pronounces ‘T’s as ‘D’s (presumably doing a lot of charidy work) and describing 28 year old Antonio Valencia as ‘promising’.

The game started off in the expected manner, the dirty Honduras side conceding a foul after 3 seconds and picking up a yellow card after 6 minutes. The early quality is fairly poor, but after 20 minutes both teams seem to sense that they are playing against their weakest opponent and that with the Swiss defeat earlier on there is a real opportunity for the winners of this game to get to the last 16 and both try to take some initiative, with Ecuador marginally the better team.

Each side then gets an identical chance as long balls over the top first find Enner Valencia through, but he curls his shot wide for Ecuador. Moments later Honduras do the same as a defensive error lets in Costly, who drills his shot into the net to give them the lead. Costly is chewing on some odd blue plastic, which Lee Dixon speculates is the lid of a biro.

Honduras’ lead lasts just 3 mins, as a long range shot gets a couple of deflections and is turned in by Enner Valencia who anticipated well and makes up for his earlier miss to equalise. The game then becomes quite open and entertaining, with poor defences leading to chances at both ends, Bernadez hits an excellent free kick for Honduras from long range that is well saved as half time approaches.

The 2nd half starts in less exciting manner until Ecuador are a little unlucky not to get a penalty when Caicedo is caught as he goes through on goal, but he tries too hard to stay on his feet. Things start to liven up then, and Ecuador go in front with a similar goal to the one they got against Switzerland, again Enner Valencia heading in a dangerous free kick by Ayovi from the left. He wasted the chance when he was put through, but Valencia looks a good instinctive finisher as well as a willing runner with some skill. If we’re doing a scouting report, he might do well in England if given a chance, maybe not Saints usual style though, he’s more Jay Rod than Lambert but if we want someone to stick away chances then he might be decent. He’s just 25 and plays in Mexico, linked with Newcastle now.

Ecuador seem happy to hit on the break once they get in front, and Honduras do try to press forward but are mainly limited to long range efforts and are unable to claw their way back into the game.

Overall this was a decent watch as both teams had a bit of a go. Ecuador just about deserved the win, but there was a lack of quality about both sides, Valencia again a notable exception- he was the matchwinner and my man of the match. It sets up the final games nicely, with things hinging on the Switzerland-Honduras game where anything might happen. If the Swiss don't get a win then it leaves things open for Ecuador to qualify with a draw against already-qualified France.

Jickster