Colombia faced off against Ecuador on Monday in the Group A of Copa America at Arena Pantanal. Colombia took all three points in their opening game of the tournament after a 1-0 victory. Colombian midfielder Edwin Cardona scored the winner in the 42nd minute.
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It was a set-piece move that fetched the Colombians the only goal of the match, which was finished off with a volley of Cardona. It was initially ruled out due to an on-field call of offside. But after consultation from the video assistant referee (VAR), the goal stood.
Ecuador had more shots and greater possession, but the match was not meant to be for the Ecuadorians on the day. They had eight shots, two shots on target, with a 59% possession. They committed 16 fouls, one player received a yellow card. They also had nine corners and a pass accuracy of 82%.
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Colombia had five shots and two shots on target, with possession of 41%. They committed 19 fouls, three players received yellow cards and won one corner, and a pass accuracy of 78%.
Clearly, Ecuador had better numbers in every area, except the one that matters the most, the number of goals scored. In the group, Brazil took the top spot on the table after their 3-0 victory over Venezuela, and Colombia are on second. Peru are yet to play a game.