Another two-goals from stirker Enner Valencia inspired Ecuador to fight back from a goal down to beat Honduras on Friday night in a bruising encounter.

If you ever put two League Two teams in the World Cup against each other, I imagine it may look a little something like Ecuador versus Honduras on Friday night.

A physical match in Curitiba was always likely, yet despite some thumping tackles and terrifically direct play, it was a very watchable and entertaining game.

The die was cast when the first free-kick was awarded just three seconds (yes, seconds) in.

On three minutes the first booking, Honduran defender Victor Bernandez with a cynical sweep of Enner Valencia’s standing leg on the edge of the box after the portly Honduran centre back was done like a kipper.

Ecuador looked the livelier team, but in Carlo Costly, Honduras have an experienced forward who can cause teams headaches.

It was his work upfront that was winning some free-kicks for Honduras. The first of which, our friend Bernandez took a run-up of around 15-20 yards before predictably underwhelming the stadium with his effort once he reached the ball. He also headed a good chance wide from a corner.

The big man was involved all over the place, and it was to be Honduras that took the lead in delightfully ‘route one’ style.

Bernandez smashed a huge clearance from to the right of his own penalty area up and over the pitch, and when Ecuador’s Paredes lost the flight of the ball, Costly strode clear and emphatically smashed the ball left-footed past the keeper to score Honduras’ first World Cup goal since 1982.

The emotion on Costly’s face was clear to see. This was a man who looked like waving goodbye to his international career when choosing to play football with his mates on holiday instead of signing for a professional team.

He had failed to get the move he wanted to Europe a couple of years ago, so had a bit of a sulk. And when the national manager disapproved of Costly’s actions playing with ‘fat men’ on the beach, the player sent him a photo of said fat men and himself with a ball, on a beach. Another reason to love the characters in this Honduras team.

Characters or not, they aren’t the strongest of teams, and just three minutes after getting their noses in front they were pegged back.

Juan Paredes tried his luck from a tight angle for Ecuador but saw his effort deflected in to the bath of the lively Enner Valencia who slid in at the back post to level.

The second half continued in the same style, robust challenges and direct play. The fans were lapping it up, and while those football purists (snobs) may not have been enjoying it, there was a fascination about it all.

Midway through the second half and Ecuador got the goal they probably deserved to win it, that man Valencia grabbing his third goal of the tournament as he neatly headed home a left wing corner.

Ecuador meet France in their final game and go in to that fixture in second place. If they better Switzerland’s result against Honduras, they will go through.

Photo: Action Images

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