Honduras lose 2-1 to Ecuador in Brazil

The 2014 Brazil Fifa World Cup fixture between Honduras and Ecuador was almost a perfect match with action swinging from end to end. Both sides missed many early chances with clear view to goal. They both pressed up high to win the ball after losing it. The match pace was sensational as the teams forced good goalkeeping saves. They produced quick inter-passing and physical combats in midfield.

Eno Valencia of Ecuador missed a seater after a long pass that by-passed the midfield and found him onside at the edge of the penalty area. His first touch was super but the second did not match it as he could not wrap his left foot well enough to direct the ball over and around the advancing goalkeeper. Honduras’ Carlo Costly received a similar long pass from the back and utilised the opportunity. The ball bounced once, and he took it in his strike and shot with his left shoelaces past the advancing keeper, Alex Dominguez.

In both cases, the men who delivered the passes were not pressed, he receivers’ of the ball were not picked up, neither were their runs tracked and the goalkeepers came off their line. Only the quality of the finishing was the difference.

The Ecuador equaliser came in different fashion. The hard running Paredes ran rings at the right channel and with the support of Montero, carved himself enough space to pull the trigger. The shot deflected off the defender to the far post. Enner Valencia sneaked behind the defence to tap the ball past a desperate Valladares to equalise. The goal came after committing a cardinal sin of not closing down and lack of tracking.   

It became a blow-by-blow affair, each team giving as much as they took. The midfield contest remained tight with duels in the middle third getting more physical. The all-South American encounter was entertainment value from start to finish as the teams spent most of the time in the attacking third.

Ecuador upped the stakes with a Valencia special from a dead ball situation taken from the left. Montero won the free kick, and Walter Ayovi drove a perfect out-swinger. Enner Valencia out jumped Carlos Carcia and headed the ball downwards to give the Ecuadorians the lead. The marking could have been better and the three-man wall from that angle should have blocked the ball. Honduras had the ability and power to respond, taking the fight to their opponents with renewed vigour. Ecuador were equal to the task defending the lead like wounded lions to protect the three points that keep them in the tournament a little longer.

France blast Honduras 3-0 in their 2014 Fifa WC

In one of the most eventful matches so far, Karim Benzema scored a first half penalty, driving the ball hard to his left past the goalkeeper who dived the other way. Wilson Palacious shoved Pogba in the back in the penalty area after a long ball lofted from midfield following a clearance of a corner-kick by Honduras. Palacious received a second yellow card resulting in his walk of shame. Previously, both him and Pogba survived expulsion scares as they entangled in a scuffle on the ground. Pogba committed a serious offence of retaliation but the leniency of the referee saw both men receive yellows.

Benzema had several opportunities with the head and free shots, as did a few other French men. France started the match with a good fast pace seeking to score early. For their part, Honduras tenacious fought tooth and nail to fend off the dangerous attacking French power led by Valbuena on the right. The quick and fast Frenchman was a huge threat as he moved from right, left and centre.

His contribution saw the European team strike the cross bar twice among numerous wasted opportunities in front of goal. Honduras depended on counter attacking moves, but only few players entered the attacking third, thinning the attack by lack of support. Until the spot kick award, they fairly dealt with the French threat.

The second half saw France taking the match by the scruff of the neck, just the way they had ended the previous half. An exchange of passes in midfield saw Benzema being fed by a diagonal ball across the box, which he met first time to the far post, leaving the goalkeeper stranded. The ball struck the upright post and ricocheted along the line. A reflex to retrieve the ball ended with the goalkeeper’s hand assisting the ball across the line for a goal.

The goal-line technology was employed for the first time in the Fifa World Cup amid a little confusion. The imagery of the ball striking the post after the strike by Benzema showed the ball not crossing the line and a verdict of ‘No goal’ was shown. A further illuminated illustration showed the ball striking the goalkeeper and trickling across the goal line. The verdict of ‘Goal’ appeared. For a moment, this presented confusion with both coaches trying to determine which was which.

The referee was cock-sure as he updated the fourth official on the vibration of his watch connected to the system. The gadget proved the goal scorer was Valladares, the goalkeeper. To clear up the matters, Benzema scored a scorcher after a Derbuchy shot was blocked by the body of Patrice Evra, and the ball kindly rolled to the Real Madrid striker who blasted a canon to the net roof.

This followed a corner-kick that was badly defended by Honduras. For fear of bookings, Didier Dechamps benched Pogba after the second goal and then Valbuena after the third. From that point on, it was easy going for France as they strolled through the park to while up time. They stroked the ball around as they supped the Hondurans’ energy, who just provided a token challenge.

Honduras failed to score a goal at the Fifa World Cup for the fifth time.