Cavani saves Uruguay from successive losses
Reuters - Wednesday 12 September 2012, 02:01
Striker Edinson Cavani hit a
67th-minute equaliser to give South American champions Uruguay a
1-1 draw with Ecuador at the Centenario on Tuesday and save them
from a second successive defeat in the World Cup qualifiers.
Uruguay, World Cup semi-finalists two years ago, fell behind
to an eight-minute penalty converted by burly striker Felipe
Caicedo after he had been brought down by central defender Diego
Lugano.
Cavani secured a point for Uruguay when the ball was poorly
cleared from an attack down the left and ran loose to the
striker on the right, from where he shot left-footed low into
the bottom of the far corner.
"Their goal woke us up, we began to put more intensity into
our game and it was like that right to the end, that's why we
managed to draw," Cavani told reporters.
"I think they had the luck to find [an equaliser] when there
were two rebounds as we tried twice to clear [the ball],"
Ecuador's Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda said.
Ecuador, who were in control for long spells and especially
in the first half, were stunned when they were denied a penalty
by Paraguayan referee Carlos Amarilla just past the hour when
they were still a goal ahead.
Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera appeared to trip
Cristian Benitez with his outstretched leg as the striker tried
to run past him in a solo breakaway but instead Amarilla booked
the Ecuadorean for diving.
Striker Luis Suarez might have equalised in the 43rd minute
but his shot hit the bar and he was denied a winner two minutes
from time when his header was saved by Alexander Dominguez.
Ecuador winger Antonio Valencia was sent off in the fourth
minute of added time after a second booking for obstruction.