Neither penicillin nor ibuprofen, the perfect medicine for the soul is to win. And this choice of Félix Sánchez achieved his second victory in three presentations. In the new test of the Catalan coach, they defeated a very weak Bolivia 1-0. Great match…? No, it was like dancing with my sister. Ecuador’s star function…? Not at all, exactly and thank you. Brilliant individuals…? None brilliant, Gonzalo Plata stimulating, Enner Valencia and Pervis Estupiñán convincing, Carlos Gruezo and William Pacho very correct. The fans will not be delirious with happiness, but they are sleeping like chickens.

Aware of the discreet individual level of his team, Gustavo Costas, the Bolivia coach, included a line of five at the back (well at the back), two mastiffs in midfield (Quiroga and Danny Bejarano) and two creatives who did not create and were close to their area (Ramiro Vaca and Miguel Terceros). And up there, orphan, he fights against windmills, Kreštavac against three, and what three…! Felix Torres, William Pacho and Piero Hincapié. It’s like going to war with a slingshot. This resulted in Bolivia recording only one shot on goal in 96 minutes, not a very strong one, by Ramir Vaca, which Moisés Ramírez cleared into the corner without too much trouble. Very bad for the national team.

Such a defensive structure of the opponents led Ecuador to rule the match at will, from start to finish. Stats measure dominance: Three had 72% of ball possession. Irresistible. Since Bolivia did not plan an attack, the analysis focused on Ecuador’s movements, especially offensive ones. To break the Bolivian fence. He made 16 shots at the goal, four of which between three sticks, and one hit. The data indicate low recording efficiency. There were many approaches to Carlos Lampe’s space, although the veteran goalkeeper had few chances to score.

Ecuador produces quality defenders and midfielders, not strikers; on that basis, Sánchez wanted to give Leonardo Campana another chance by making him the starter. Again, he could not or did not know how to use it. Alfaro received criticism for not taking him to the World Cup, but he realized that it was not for that and he sided with the then unknown Kevin Rodríguez. There are attackers who fail to define, Campana is not in a position to define, he is not where the ball is going. In 13 games with the national team, he did not score a single goal. Enner Valencia stonewalled him: he came on for him in the 54th minute and scored in the 69th to make it 1-0 in a practical demonstration of positioning, performance and composure.

Attention was drawn to the absence of Kevin Rodríguez, who made such a good impression in the victory over Australia. There were rumors of an injury, but he played without problems at Independiente del Valle. Equally so is that of Júnior Sornoza, a midfielder who can contribute elements that are not in abundance in the national team: goal, goal-pass, creativity in three quarters of the field and balls. Interestingly, neither Alfaro nor Sánchez now see Júnior for what he is: an extremely valuable player. Is there something about your personality that techs don’t like, or are you just unlucky? The fact that Ecuador launched 17 centers shows that it had no other arrival formula. Even the goal was due to a technical error by the opponent: Villamil tried the ball, it barely went long, and Gruezo took it from him in the gap and that’s where the goal came. On afternoons like this, when the opponent is waiting tight behind him, talents like Sornoza or Plata can be decisive.

The party did not give for smart tactical studies, yes names. Félix Sánchez can sleep peacefully, he has four phenomenal defenders who make it difficult for their goalkeeper to get a shot: Félix Torres, Piero Hincapié, William Pacho and Robert Arboleda. Hincapié’s injury allowed Arboleda to play 65 minutes. On the left wing, Ecuador has one of the best full-backs in the world in Estupiñán, always at a high level of performance, with a competitive seriousness that any coach would adore. The second line also has an owner: Ángelo Preciado. Against Bolivia, he lent it to José Hurtado, who did not stand out.

Solid in the middle Carlos Gruezo, always solid in the brand and contributing to its solvency. He was the intellectual author of the goal. When he saw that Gabriel Villamil controlled the ball for a long time, he jumped like an eagle and stole away; After his removal, Plata allowed Enner to be executed by firing squad. Sometimes with greater efficiency, sometimes with less, Gruezo always contributes. It will never be the number of afternoons, but it adds up. His recovery was key to winning the game.

Gonzalo Plata was outstanding. Restless, he lost his balance and first gave Enner a goal. He saw a goal opportunity before he conceded it. The 36 games played in the First Division in the Spanish league give him a plus, they strengthened him. It’s not just any tournament. He has a virtue: when he takes the ball, something important can happen in the game. Touch imbalance, filtered pass, overflow, hook. Very useful in the most difficult part of the rectangle: where you have to open the can. Fixed holder.

Enner is a case in point: he was born to score. That is already the history of the selection. He’s physically impressive for his 33 years and has a lot more vibes, sure to make it to the 2026 World Cup. He has the intuition to be well placed for a rebound, free kick or cross into the penalty area. Some always arrive, that’s thanks to the attackers. He has already left all the other archers following him far behind. And they will keep scoring. By vocation, he has the ambition and character of a gunner. With him, one notices that the fan appreciates him, but does not idolize him. If he had come from another club, there would have been a cult of Enner Valencia, but he came from Emelec, giants without journalists. Or with bad press. Everything surrounding Emelec is always critical, never complimentary.

We leave Moisés Caicedo for last. Good player, we could become very good. Against Bolivia, it wasn’t their game, it wasn’t difficult, however, we want to go on. He is a natural, technical midfielder, good passer and able to recover, generous layout, perfect physical biotype and only 21 years old. It is very young, it can continue to grow. In addition, he puts on the jersey with confidence from the first day he was called up. It’s strange that, despite so many virtues, it doesn’t have much of an impact on the game. It happened to him at the World Cup. He doesn’t have a goal or a goal pass, he doesn’t dribble, he doesn’t break lines. But a very famous coach like De Zerbi had him as a starter during the entire English championship, that means something. And technicians know more than journalists. It will be that we see him as an attacking midfielder, which he is not. We would like to see how it develops further.

Costa Rica will certainly be a tougher opponent than Bolivia, at least with better offensive resources. The last test before the qualifications. But Félix Sánchez should have no problem with insomnia: there is a team. (OR)