Alen Boksic and Carlos Tenorio both made early threats for
Croatia and Ecuador.
Croatia have looked the most dangerous in the first-half
with Alen Boksic looking the most likely to score.
With Mexico taking the lead against Italy, in the 34th
minute, Croatia would end up as group runners-up if the scores remain the same.... and
Italy make the news as another big name to stumble at the group stage.
Half-time: Ecuador 0 -- Croatia 0
-- GOAL -- 1-0
Agustin Delgado headed down an Ulises de la Cruz cross for Edison Mendez
to put Ecuador in front just after the restart.
Milan Rapaic and Alen Boksic continued to attack the South
American goal but couldn't find a way to break them down. Ecuador needed to do more if
they wanted to overtake Italy, who had by now equalised against Mexico.
On their first appearance in the World Cup finals, Ecuador
did well to beat the third-placed team in France 98. This time around, Croatia just didn't
shine enough and wouldn't even have beaten Italy if the two Italian goals were not ruled
offside.
Player of the Match:
Edison Mendez -- Score the goal that Ecuador their first ever World Cup finals victory,
although it wasn't enough to take them into the Second
Round.
Yellow Cards:
Stejpan Tomas (72 mins)
Cléber Chalá (86 mins)
Josip Simunic (92 mins)
The Teams:
Ecuador:
1 José Cevallos; 15 Marlon Ayoví, 4 Ulises De La Cruz, 6 Raul Guerron, 3 Iván Hurtado,
2 Augusto Poroso; 16 Cléber Chalá, 19 Edison Mendez, 5 Alfonso Obregon (10 Alex Aguinaga
-- 40 mins); 11 Agustín Delgado, 18 Carlos Tenorio (9 Iván Kaviedes -- 76 mins).
