For Qatar, this was a disappointment for 12 years. The host nation has spent that time building the infrastructure for a World Cup shrouded in controversy and full of a bitter taste that, whatever the next four weeks bring, is unlikely to ever be erased.
When they started this tournament, however, the local hope was for a bravura show of the meticulously constructed football project that has been developed at the same time as the creation of a carefully curated and deeply disturbing fantasy sports ground since the sand Instead, they fell, left in the dust by a stronger and more astute Ecuador unit that dealt with the harsher truth about what life at this level really looks like.
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The maneuvers perfected by Félix Sánchez’s players over that time were barely evident and it was doubly ignominious that Qatar became the first home team to lose an opener. No other outcome seemed likely after the moment, three minutes later, when Enner Valencia thought he had silenced the game. The goal was eventually ruled out by VAR for offside, but Qatar’s defence, and particularly their goalkeeper Saad al-Sheeb, were clearly ripe for the taking.
That impression was quickly justified when Valencia, with Sheeb fouled, converted a penalty. His exceptional header after half an hour removed any remaining edge and long before the final strips of this sprawling, textured tent-like structure north of Doha had virtually emptied. The expected extravaganza had not materialized and it would take a big improvement against Senegal on Friday to give Qatar any chance of progress. In short, it was a non-competition, an unsatisfactory show and, with due credit to a competent Ecuador, a bad reflection on what should be the axis of football.
“Maybe the responsibility and the nerves got to us,” Sanchez said of a lackluster display that, given it was presented as the logical apex of a country’s footballing journey, must have been very anticlimactic. “We had a terrible start and that determines the rest of the game. We’ll just have to forget about the pressure and be more competitive. We can do it.”
Fans react as World Cup gets off to a flying start, but hosts Qatar make a scrappy start: video
At the very least, the awarding and sending of Valencia’s spot-kick gave less weight to the controversy surrounding their first disallowed goal. The cancellation looked marginal at best and came after Sheeb had fluttered under a free-kick, allowing a combination of Félix Torres and Michael Estrada to find Valencia with the keeper stranded. There was widespread confusion when it was scored: Fifa’s semi-automated system probably decided that Estrada’s foot was beyond Sheeb, with just one defender, when Torres headed over.
Perhaps the stars were aligning for Qatar, who would have faced grumblings about unfairness had the call decided things. No one could accuse their country of not producing a show off the pitch. Morgan Freeman had been seen pouring in at the front of the high-spec opening ceremony, intoning weighty thoughts about football’s unifying power, but Ecuador were in a class apart in those opening moments. Qatar could not retain possession or a sensible measure of concentration.
They fell behind soon enough when a slow Sheeb came out to meet Valencia and slashed at his wrist. A penalty, a reservation and no more room for suggestions of favoritism; Valencia scored calmly and at that point Qatar looked vulnerable whenever Ecuador attacked.
There was visible frustration in the shot at Valencia for which Almoez Ali was booked. Valencia’s revenge was emphatic, finding space between two defenders and making a thrilling leap to plant Angelo Preciado’s cross past Sheeb after Moises Caicedo’s persistence. The former West Ham and Everton player, now 33, still has it.
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“He’s been questioned at times, but now we see how much he gives us,” Ecuador coach Gustavo Alfaro said of the country’s all-time top scorer. “If I have to choose, I always choose Enner Valencia.” Whether he can do it for his next match against the Netherlands depends on his recovery from multiple knocks.
Enner ValenciaEnner Valencia
Surely Qatar had more to offer. They are the Asian champions and in what should have been a useful exercise, they did not disgrace themselves when they were invited to the Copa America three years ago. It was obvious that they had frozen in that surprisingly vivid evening; their football was light against technically and physically superior opposition.
However, Ali, the star of that continental victory, went astray with the final action of the first half. He hadn’t been marked and perhaps a cleaner touch would have put Qatar at ease late on. It could have ignited the contest, but instead, it was pretty much the highlight reel action.
Ecuador could cruise through the second period, occasionally wasting openings on the counter. Romario Ibarra allowed Sheeb slight redemption with a save but little else raised the pulse as the crowd drifted away. “We hope that in the next game people will feel more proud,” said Sanchez. It was the hardest blow to the self-esteem of his adopted nation.