In the first match of both teams after the World Cup in Qatar 2022, Australia defeated Ecuador 3-1 in a friendly match this Friday, a team in which Spanish coach Félix Sánchez made his debut on the Tricolor bench.

Mistakes that pay dearly! Defensive failures lead to Ecuador’s defeat against Australia, in Félix Sánchez’s debut in charge of the Tri

In the opening match against the Ecuadorians, the home team sealed the advantage before retiring to the locker room. With the goals of Jackson Irvine in the 12th minute and Erwin Mabilo in the 32nd minute, the home owners put the numbers on the scoreboard. For Ecuador, Félix Torres conceded in the 23rd minute with a header after receiving an assist from Jeremy Sarmiento. But Garang Koul made it 3-1 in the 84th at the CommBank Stadium in the city of Sydney. Both groups will meet again next Tuesday.

Jeremy Sarmiento suffered a fracture and is not playing in the second leg between Ecuador and Australia

This is how several Australian newspapers saw the commitment this Friday.

‘You have to give credit to Ecuador; It is a very good team, which has quality,’ points out Graham Arnold, coach of Australia

Sydney Morning Herald: “Ecuador played for the first time under new coach Félix Sánchez. Apart from the goal of Félix Torres, they had more opportunities to punish the stretched Australian defense, but they did not take advantage of them. They then gave the Socceroos their second goal. The vibes on Friday were very, very good as the Socceroos took a confident first step towards the next World Cup, defeating Ecuador 3-1 in a smooth return home.

Age: “The only disappointment was the relatively weak turnout of 20,668 people at the CommBank Stadium. A bit disappointing, given how the Australian team seemed to be fascinated not too long ago. On the pitch, the Socceroos largely picked up where they left off football-wise in Doha: they were energetic from the start and more aggressive, although at times they were a bit more open in defense than Graham Arnold (the manager) would have liked.”

The Daily Telegraph: “The Socceroos promised to raise the bar and ensure their homecoming was more than ceremonial and they delivered on their word with an enterprising and spirited performance in their 3-1 win over Ecuador in Sydney. Ecuador equalized ten minutes later with Australia’s first goal, but the football team soon regained the lead. A disappointing World Cup was followed by quiet play. The goals were the perfect tonic.”

Guardian Australia: “It was a fun football night. There wasn’t a huge crowd, but those who made it to the stadium, for the return of football, were rewarded with an impressive performance from Graham Arnold’s team. Jackson Irvine was excellent, Duke and Goodwin were brilliant, Souttar and Rowls were solid at the back, O’Neill had a great debut and Kuol scored his first goal for the Socceroos.” (D)