Valencia on target as ten-man Ecuador upset Colombia

MONTEVIDEO: Ten-man Ecuador upset Colombia with a 1-0 victory in Barranquilla on Tuesday as they continued their impressive South American World Cup qualifying campaign.

The gritty victory from Sebastian Beccacece’s young side moved Ecuador, temporarily at least, into third place in the 10-team qualifying group.

Veteran striker Enner Valencia stunned the home crowd with a seventh-minute opener and it was an outstanding solo effort as the former West Ham United forward broke away from three Colombian defenders and powered into the box before slotting home.

Colombia forward Jhon Cordoba then missed a golden opportunity to level the score, stumbling off balance and missing from point blank range after James Rodriguez had slipped the ball across the five-yard box.