Ecuador 1 - Venezuela 1

Hot and humid Puerto La Cruz was the site selected for hosts Venezuela's adventure against Ecuador.  Both teams were struck by absences, with Ecuador missing striker Felipe Caicedo and Venezuela missing center backs Oswaldo Vizcarrondo and Andres Tunez, midfielders Tomas Rincon and Cesar Gonzalez, and fullback Jose Manuel Velasquez.  Venezuela's captain and talisman left winger Juan Arango (pictured, burgundy) wanted to silence all the talk of absences, and he did so with a wonder goal after five minutes had elapsed.  Arango's strike had no spin and just flew like a knuckleball from thirty-five yards into the upper ninety, leaving Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez reaching for air as he dove.  La Vinotinto were up 1-0 and were looking to move two points clear into fourth place with a win.  Arango became Venezuela's all-time leading goal scorer with his twenty-third goal for La Vinotinto.  Five minutes later, an Arango pass put Josef Martinez through on goal, but Dominguez saved.  Three minutes later, Dominguez saved another long-distance Arango strike.  However, from that point on Ecuador were the better side.  Lackadaisical defending by Venezuela allowed Segundo Castillo to take a touch on a loose ball in the box before he whipped a shot beyond a sliding Fernando Amorebieta and into the goal for the equalizer.  Left back Walter Ayovi and left winger Michael Arroyo were absolutely dominant on the left side of the pitch and caused Venezuela no shortage of fires to put out.  The half ended 1-1.

Arango hit a free kick onto the top of the crossbar nine minutes into the second period, and then had a shot saved by a diving Dominguez eleven minutes later.  Yet again, Ecuador dominated the later portion of the half.  Three minutes after the Dominguez save, Arroyo clanged the crossbar from a short-angle free kick.  Jefferson Montero came off the bench for Ecuador with ten minutes to go and with his first touch fired into the legs of Venezuela goalkeeper Dani Hernandez, letting La Vinotinto off the hook.  An Antonio Valencia ball to Arroyo four minutes after that nearly caused a goal but a flying save by Hernandez kept the score level.  The teams split the points after a 1-1 draw.

Goals
Venezuela
Juan Arango 6

Ecuador
Segundo Castillo 22

Match Reports:
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/10/17/soccer-world-venezuela-arango-idINDEE89G00R20121017
http://www.eluniversal.com/deportes/121017/vinotinto-se-acerca

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsm_7Ry3sm0

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxNy83R1Dyw (1st half)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oChwYNGs_e4 (2nd half)