Flamengo’s Plata on why he was benched for Ecuador v Paraguay | OneFootball

Gonzalo Plata only came on in the final stretch of the second half against Paraguay

An undisputed starter for Ecuador, Gonzalo Plata was on the bench for the draw against Paraguay on Thursday (04), in the penultimate round of the World Cup Qualifiers. In the press of the Flamengo striker’s home country, there was much speculation about the physical condition of the red-black player. However, the winger made a point of reassuring his compatriots and the Fla Nation: there is no injury.

“I’m fine, thank God. I stayed on the bench because of the yellow card and to face Argentina,” explained Gonzalo Plata, who played the last 20 minutes of the match held at Estadio Defensores del Chaco, in Asunción, Paraguay. The striker was at risk of suspension and, if he had received another booking, he would not have faced the current world champions in the last round of the World Cup Qualifiers. That’s why the red-black player only played in the final 20 minutes.

WHEN IS ECUADOR’S NEXT GAME?

Already qualified for the World Cup, Ecuador, as highlighted by Plata, will face Argentina in an attempt to finish second in the Qualifiers. For that to happen, only a win will do on Tuesday (09), combined with slip-ups from Brazil and Uruguay. Currently, Gonzalo’s team is in fourth place with 26 points, compared to 28 for the five-time world champions and 27 for Arrascaeta’s team.

— Now, we have a clear goal to beat Argentina and finish second in the Qualifiers. Everyone knows how important this match will be, playing against such a strong team will demand a lot from us, but the team is focused on winning — said Plata, looking ahead to the clash with Argentina, before analyzing the 0-0 draw with Paraguay away from home.

— It was a very good match for us. To pick up points here after so long, which no other team managed. Neither Brazil nor Argentina picked up points in this stadium. So, for us, achieving this is very important — concluded Plata, referring to the defeats of the two main South American teams against Paraguay as visitors. For the first time in history, Ecuador did not lose in Asunción.

WILL PLATA START AGAINST ARGENTINA?

After being rested, the expectation is that Plata will be a starter this Tuesday (09), against Argentina, who will rest Messi. The match kicks off at 8 p.m. (Brasília time), at Estadio Monumental de Guayaquil. Of course, Coluna do Fla will bring updated news about the performance of Flamengo’s number 50 in the match.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.