There were two Bundesliga players in the squads in the opening fixture of the World Cup between Qatar and Ecuador. A brace from Enner Valencia, who could have had a hat-trick, secured a 2-0 win for Ecuador
Piero Hincapié – Bayer Leverkusen
Piero Hincapié played the full 90 minutes for Ecuador in their win. He made no tackles but had one interception and three recoveries. The 20-year-old has played 13 matches for Bayer Leverkusen this season and has been used as both centre-back as well as left-back.
Carlos Gruezo – Augsburg
Normally a key player for Ecuador, Carlos Gruezo did not feature in this game. This is due to the fact he had been recovering from an injury to his thigh. The injury occurred in the final game before the international break in the Bundesliga as Augsburg lost to Bochum 1-0 with a goal from Christopher Anti-Adjej. During the game, Gruezo went off after the 30th minute and was replaced by Arne Maier. He joined up with the Ecuador national team still with the injury.
Monday’s games
- England vs Iran
- Senegal vs Netherlands
- USA vs Wales
GGFN | Jack Meenan
