Plata plays 20 minutes as Ecuador draw with Paraguay in qualifiers | OneFootball

Flamengo Player, Plata, May Face the Argentine National Team in the Next Round

The Ecuadorian National Team, with forward Gonzalo Plata, ended in a draw against Paraguay this Thursday (04). The teams drew 0-0 at the Estadio Defensores del Chaco, during the 17th round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Thus, Ecuador stands with 26 points in fourth place, while the Paraguayans are in sixth with 25.

Plata has one yellow card in these Qualifiers, a competition where two yellow cards result in suspension for the next game. Therefore, coach Sebastian Beccacece chose to keep the Flamengo forward on the bench for most of the game against Paraguay to use him in the next round.

How was the game?

In the first half, the Paraguayan National Team created and finished more, which did not overly concern the Ecuadorians. This is because Beccacece's team is already qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Thus, Plata watched Ecuador hold the score at zero until halftime.

In the second half, however, Beccacece decided to bring the secret weapon off the bench and called Plata to replace Kendry Páez. However, the substitution did not have the desired effect, and the teams ended in a 0-0 draw.

When will Plata have another opportunity?

Following the result, and with Plata available, Ecuador will face Argentina next Tuesday (09). The Ecuadorians will play at home, at the Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo, starting at 8 PM (Brasília time), for the 18th round of the qualifiers.

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