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Ecuador national football team Asian tour

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2026-10-02 17:50 UTC → 2026-10-02 22:19 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Ecuador national football team’s Asian tour continued with a Kirin Cup semifinal match against Japan at Yokohama International Stadium. Following a previous 3-0 loss to South Korea, head coach Marcelo Gallardo sought to implement tactical changes to improve the squad’s identity. Ecuador delivered a disciplined defensive performance, holding Japan scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation time. However, the match ended in a 0-0 draw, forcing a penalty shootout to determine the finalist. Japan ultimately secured a 5-4 victory on penalties, marking their first shootout win in 15 years and their first penalty victory in a senior international match on home soil in 46 years. The victory was aided by a critical save from goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who stopped the third Ecuadorian penalty attempt, while all five Japanese kickers—Ayase Ueda, Daichi Kamada, Hiroki Ito, Yuki Soma, and Daizen Maeda—successfully converted their attempts. While the result was a defeat for Ecuador, Gallardo noted that the team demonstrated tactical improvement, stating they played with more order and pressure. He highlighted the team’s ability to compete closely with a consolidated side like Japan, despite acknowledging challenges in offensive fluidity and finishing. ~~The match also served as a period for testing players in new roles, such as Alan Franco at right-back, as Gallardo continues to build the squad following~~ Following the ~~retirement of Enner Valencia. With this victory, Japan advances~~ semifinal, Ecuador is scheduled to face Panama for third place in the Kirin Cup ~~final to face New Zealand~~ on Monday, October 5. ~~Following~~ This fixture marks the ~~match,~~ third match under Gallardo as the ~~Japanese squad entered a period~~ team seeks its first victory of ~~rest to manage~~ the tour. However, the squad faces minor setback as goalkeeper Hernán Galíndez reported physical discomfort after being struck in the back by a ~~dense schedule, while Ecuador prepares for their next fixture~~ rebound during the penalty shootout against ~~Panama.~~ Japan.

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