With a double from Estevao and a goal from Luighi, the current champions of the Brazilian team defeated Ecuador on Monday and advanced to the quarterfinals of the U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, where the dream of winning a second title in a row remains alive. and the fifth of it. category star.
In the same match for the round of 16, Brazil started a little distracted and struggled to find their rhythm, while the Ecuadorians opted for a quick exchange of passes in an attempt to break the ranks of the defense, with clearer scoring possibilities in the opening minutes.
After some scares, Canarinha started to react and Dudu was about to open the scoring. The persistence was rewarded when Estevao, one of the great figures of the World Cup and who aspires to play for Barcelona, game.
Ecuador remained determined to find their goal and Elkin Ruiz came close to leveling matters after a mistake in Brazil’s ball release. The tie finally came before half-time and after captain Bermúdez scored the first Ecuadorian goal amid a barrage of shots.
In the second half, the fatigue of both teams was noticed, which was aggravated by the strong heat of 32 degrees that hit the city of Surakarta in the afternoon, and the pace of the battle between the South American U-17 champion and the runner-up slowed down. very big.
A broken Brazil went back to sleep and made a series of mistakes – which Ecuador in turn did not know how to take advantage of – although it soon tried to multiply its methods to the opposite area .
The Brazilians regained their lead in Estevao, with a direct free kick in the 71st minute that showed some luck, as the ball bounced off the Ecuadorian defense.
Luighi, who took the field in relief of Kaua Elías, sealed the victory for the Brazilians with a lethal shot with one minute left before the final whistle.
Brazil will face the winner of the duel between Argentina and Venezuela in the quarterfinals, which will be played on Tuesday at the Jalak Harupat stadium in Bandung. (D)
