Ecuador 1-1 Brazil: Felix Torres rescues a point to bolster hosts’ World Cup qualification hopes

Ecuador centre back Felix Torres scored a decisive equaliser against Brazil to boost qualification hopes for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

The match at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado in Quito started ferociously with Brazil taking the lead through midfielder Casemiro before both sides were reduced to 10 men inside 20 minutes.  

First, Ecuador had their goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez shown a straight red card after a reckless rush from his goal saw him clip Matheus Cunha on the neck.

The defender stole a yard on Brazil’s defence to head in an equaliser in a feisty game in Quito

Both sides were reduced to 10 men in a match that was littered with controversial decisions

A VAR review showed Dominguez had left Cunha with a cut and there could be few complaints. 

Brazil weren’t with a man advantage for long as Tottenham wing-back Emerson Royal picked up his second booking, having picked up his first inside the first 60 seconds, to be given his marching orders. 

Things looked to be unravelling incredibly quickly when Brazil and Liverpool goalkeeper was shown a red card for an obvious foul, kicking the back of Enner Valencia’s head. 

But VAR intervened and overturned the penalty call and the red card. Alisson would be shown a second red card in stoppage time, only for VAR to again chalk that one off.    

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro gave Brazil the perfect start when he netted the opening goal

Brazil are one of 14 teams that have already booked their place at the 2022 World Cup this year

Things unravelled when Emerson Royal (left) was sent off for two yellow cards in 20 minutes

It looked like Brazil, who are one of 14 teams to already qualify for the World Cup later this year, would run out as narrow winners until Torres connected with Gonzalo Plata’s delivery to equalise. 

Ecuador are third in the 10-nation South American qualifying standings with 24 points from 15 games, seven points ahead of Colombia and Peru, who have a game in hand.

The top four qualify automatically for the World Cup while the fifth-placed side go into a playoff with a team from the Asian confederation.

Ecuador’s match against Brazil ebbed and flowed but was enthralling throughout, especially in the opening half hour.

Already a goal down, Ecuador’s keeper Dominguez was shown a red card on the quarter of an hour mark for a neck-high challenge that felled Cunha on the edge of the box.

But moments later the numbers were even as Brazil full-back Emerson, who was shown a yellow in the first minute for a firm challenge, got a second for a clumsy intervention. 

Goalkeeper Alisson looked like he would be the third player to be sent off after 25 minutes but following a lengthy delay Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan overturned the decision.

Ecuador, on a home pitch where they had won 16 of their 23 points before Thursday, fully deserved the equaliser against a Brazilian defence that looked shaky throughout.

Brazil were then lucky to see VAR overturn a red card for goalkeeper Alisson Becker (left)

The video assistant referee twice came to Alisson’s aid as he avoided two potential red cards

They thought they might snatch all three points when they were awarded a penalty in stoppage time after Alisson felled Ayrton Preciado in attempting to punch the ball clear and was again shown a red card.

But after consulting VAR the referee overturned the penalty award and red card to leave the home fans fuming as Brazil extended their unbeaten run in World Cup qualifiers to 31 games to match the South American record they set from 1954 to 1993.

Bottom side Venezuela are the only team out of the running to qualify with most teams having four games still to play.