Ecuador secures its first victory against Bolivia

• Andrea Ochoa and Sara Garcés scored two goals each.
• La Verde has now suffered three defeats.

In Group A, the two teams that had yet to earn points faced off: Bolivia and Ecuador entered the third matchday with two losses each and were looking to bounce back.

Ecuador struck quickly: just three minutes in, Kelly Bone capitalized on a defensive lapse by Bolivia to take the lead.

La Verde responded immediately: after a long ball that beat the Ecuadorian defense, Chura found herself one-on-one and managed to equalize.

El Tri regained control: in the 8th minute, Garcés fired a strong shot from outside the area to put Ecuador ahead, and in the 13th minute, Andrea Ochoa netted her first goal of the match.

The second half was less intense, with fatigue evident on both sides, hinting at a possible 3-1 final score. However, Bolivia refused to give up. A corner kick from Chura found Dayana Jiménez, and with some suspense, the ball crossed the line to keep Mauricio Arnez’s team in the game.

Bolivia controlled possession, but Ecuador found a fourth goal through its No. 9, Ochoa, who struck from outside the area to secure her second goal.

With two minutes left, Meza’s team sealed the victory: Bolivia was attacking with a goalkeeper-player strategy when Ecuador regained possession, and Garcés struck from her own half to put the game to bed. A minute later, Orellana pulled one back for Bolivia to finalize the score.

Ecuador will face Venezuela on Wednesday in its final group-stage match, dreaming of qualification. Bolivia will rest on Wednesday and conclude the group stage against Paraguay on Thursday.

Lineups

Bolivia (3): 1- Kimberly López, 6- Dayana Jiménez, 10- Martha Chura (Captain), 11- María Gálvez, 13- Ana Rojas.

Substitutes: 2- Desiree Nava, 3- Briseyda Orellana, 4- Sonia Turihuano, 5- Alexandra Montalvo, 7- Yoselin Portales, 8- Ingrid Siles, 12- Ruth Copa, 14- Wendy Baltazar.

Coach: Mauricio Arnez

Ecuador (5): 12- Ana Villarreal, 3- Kelly Bone, 5- Sara Garcés, 8- Daniela Fernández, 9- Andrea Ochoa (Captain).

Substitutes: 1- Darla Lara, 2- Ingrid Rodríguez, 4- Tammy Chillambo, 6- Jessica Quizhpilema, 7- Iris Reyes, 10- Cinthia Bone, 11- Ana Ñacashag, 13- Emily Tomala, 14- Karol Guzhñay.

Coach: Darío Meza

Goals

First Half: 3’ Kelly Bone (E), 4’ Martha Chura (B), 8’ Sara Garcés (E), 13’ Andrea Ochoa (E). Halftime: Bolivia 1-3 Ecuador.

Second Half: 9’ Dayana Jiménez (B), 12’ Andrea Ochoa (E), 18’ Sara Garcés (E), 19’ Briseyda Orellana (B). Final Score: Bolivia 3-5 Ecuador.

Cards

Second Half: 6’ Yellow card for Briseyda Orellana (B).

Referee: Lady Muñoz (Chile).