Liverpool Goalkeeper Alisson was sent off twice only for the VAR to overturn both red cards as Brazil were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in an action-packed World Cup qualifier.
Casemiro gave Brazil the lead early on, but Felix Torres snatched a late equalizer for the hosts; Ecuador’s goalkeeper was issued a red card, while Tottenham’s Emerson Royal was dismissed for Brazil.
Ecuador were forced to dig deep to secure a share of the spoils as Casemiro’s early goal was cancelled out by Felix Torres’ header 15 minutes from time in the second half.
SEE ALSO
Brazil goalkeeper Alisson was issued a red card on two occasions, but both were revoked following consultation with the Video Assistant Referee in the tense encounter. Both teams had a player sent off inside the first 20 minutes of the match (VAR).
Ecuador may feel angry that a goal was chalked off and two penalty rulings were overturned by the VAR – one of which came in second-half stoppage time – but they were rewarded for their tenacity when Torres headed home from a corner.
After five minutes, Casemiro slammed home from close range following a goalmouth scramble to give Brazil the lead for the first time.
Watch Video Below:
After 15 minutes, Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez was sent off for a reckless challenge, and five minutes later, Brazil fullback Emerson Royal was expelled for a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge after receiving a yellow card earlier.
The five-time world champions have already qualified for this year’s championships in Qatar, along with Argentina, who will face Chile later on Thursday in a friendly match at the stadium.
Ecuador have 24 points from 15 games, seven points ahead of Colombia and Peru, both of which have a game in hand. Ecuador are in third place in the 10-nation South American qualifying standings.
The top four teams qualify for the World Cup directly, but the fifth-placed team must compete in a playoff against a team from the Asian Confederation to get to the finals.
