The desire that Colombia had to take advantage of the locality to get ahead of Ecuador, one of his direct rivals in the classification heading to Qatar 2022, they were left in a potential of unfulfilled illusions after the match in Barranquilla. Although those led by Reinaldo Rueda were more than his rival -in a match that did not offer much- and were close to winning it in the last gasp of the football afternoon, finally the scoreboard was stuck in a 0-0 that left those led by Argentine Gustavo Alfaro somewhat happier.
The emotion that was conspicuous by his absence in almost the entire match between Colombia and Ecuador was reserved for the last minutes, which were many, because the Peruvian Diego Haro had given eight minutes of discount. At 54 minutes into the second half of a match that had left little football, the locals went ahead in Barranquilla after a prepared play between Juan Guillermo Cuadrado and Yerry Mina, which was born on the side and ended in the Ecuadorian goal.
The celebration of the footballers themselves and the fans was cut short a few minutes later, when the VAR detected a hand from the Everton defender setting the ball. The game then closed with the silent 0-0 that cheered all the time in Colombia, where no one was brave enough to take three points.
The game, which had come as an important opportunity for those led by Reinaldo Rueda, did not offer much for the spectators who were present at the Metropolitano stadium. Ecuador, who had been hit by an unexpected loss to Venezuela 2-1 in Caracas, the equality without goals did not seem to be bad. on his visit to Colombia.
The locals, when the second half was averaging, seemed to warn that the opportunity was slipping away, in the middle of a tight South American classification. Without too much offensive play, through isolated attacks, Rueda’s men were close to achieving a valuable victory. At 23 minutes, after a rejection in the area to a shot from Luis Díaz, Duvan Zapata turned and took a strong shot that Alexander Domínguez contained to ward off the risk. At 39, came the second legitimate offensive that left the unsavory match in Barranquilla, when Díaz took advantage of a neglect of the Ecuadorian fund to take first a center that found him alone and enabled. Again Domínguez, stretching out of pure reflex, denied the coffee cast the chance. In the only one that Domínguez could not contain, the VAR saved Ecuador, the one that did the least in Barranquilla and the one that was happier with the draw.
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