Ulises de la Cruz’s Ecuador continued to confound expectation with a 2-0 win against Chile in Quito. In a game delayed for an hour due to a hailstone, Crystal Palace striker Ivan Kaviedes celebrated his return to the side with the opener and midfielder Edison Mendez added the second, to help lift the side to fourth and an automatic qualifying place.
But while Ecuador are exceeding expectation, Colombia are failing to make the earnest challenge that many predicted. The side’s stuttering campaign continued in Barranquilla on Saturday night when they squandered numerous chances before conceding a late Aureliano Torres equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Paraguay. Back in the Colombian side, Juan Pablo Angel was especially profligate and the failure to gain all three points leaves his side with an uphill struggle to qualify.