Liga de Quito 3, Palmeiras 0

Hats off to Liga for achieving this result in the home leg of their Copa Libertadores semifinal. Frankly, I don’t see the lead evaporating in São Paulo.

The winner will contest the final against either Flamengo or Racing Club. I wouldn’t be surprised if liguistas outnumbered opposing fans in Lima, the neutral host city. They’d have a shorter journey than Brazilians or Argentinians, and they’re plenty passionate about their club (and platudos).

I just wish they’d bother to fill their stadium when Ecuador plays World Cup qualifiers there.

A clockwork dove

Ecuador played against Peru, in Lima. It was just a “friendly” match. But Ecuador and Peru are rivals, and Ecuador had been playing dismally for many months, and the Peruvians were agrandados. (There’d been some nonsense in the press about “la paloma mecánica,” i.e., the Clockwork Dove).

The Ecuadorians committed their usual number of defensive errors. Fortunately, the line judges were sharp, and they made several close, correct offsides calls that kept Peru off the scoreboard. Then, in the second half, Énner Valencia shredded the Peruvian defense, helping Ecuador to convert two goals.

These were the highlights.

It was Ecuador’s first victory in two years against South American opposition.