Twitter reacts as Ecuador cruise to victory over Qatar in World Cup opening game
Enner Valencia bagged a brace as Ecuador firmly put Qatar in their place in the 2022 World Cup opening game.
The former Everton and West Ham forward was in brilliant form in the first half, scoring twice while the home nation looked generally hapless in every single facet of the game.
Ecuador found the breakthrough inside the opening minutes when Enner Valencia nodded home after a goalkeeping error from Saad Al Sheeb.
After a VAR check however, the goal was ruled out for offside... well we were told it was offside... although replays didn't really show anything of the sort.
How was that offside? What happened to SAOT?xmb #QatarWorldCup2022 #QATECU
— Mark Bosnich (@TheRealBozza) November 20, 2022
The offside decision given against Qatar.
— Citi Sports (@CitiSportsGHA) November 20, 2022
Do you agree that it was an offside?#CitiSports #Qatar2022 #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/FYsmod7mSs
Genuinely stunning there has been a VAR overrule in favour of Qatar inside 10 minutes.
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) November 20, 2022
We got one replay on stadium press screen, no lines. Seemed very dubious live.#WorldCup
VAR officials increased to SEVEN per game for this World Cup. They've disallowed the Ecuador's opening 'goal'. Nothing to see here. #WorldCup2022 #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/FOrIblO2oH
— Des Kelly 💙 (@TheDesKelly) November 20, 2022
After a little while a relatively conclusive CGI reply of the goal did show that an Ecuador player's kneecap was just offside.
The offside call released by VAR. pic.twitter.com/ibdL5opzhw
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 20, 2022
Valencia did eventually get his goal, and the first of the 2022 World Cup, from the spot in the 16th minute.
After being brought down by Al Sheeb in the penalty area, the former West Ham and Everton man coolly slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
West Ham and Everton Twitter rejoiced.
1st goal at the World Cup from former @WestHam forward Enner Valencia pic.twitter.com/7z8tOvoZSW
— Ian Abrahams (Moose) (@BroadcastMoose) November 20, 2022
"Enna Valencia, now that's a name I've not heard in a long time, a long time" pic.twitter.com/9iLpPb7PhR
— Nevada West Ham (@WestHaminVegas) November 20, 2022
Former Everton loanee Enner Valencia scores the first goal of the 2022 World Cup for Ecuador pic.twitter.com/jNjtCeNO1h
— 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗲 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 (@EvertonNewsFeed) November 20, 2022
While the rest of Twitter took the time to slag off Al Sheeb who was, by all accounts, enduring a nightmare start to the tournament.
Not impressed with Saad Al Sheeb at all, he’s all over the place. The disallowed goal he was all over the place and then he concedes the penalty. His positioning and decision making has been utterly abysmal, a complete and utter shambles of a start from the Qatar keeper.
— Josh Bunting (@Buntingfootball) November 20, 2022
Saad Al Sheeb
— Ciaran (@ps2startupintro) November 20, 2022
pic.twitter.com/IhFNOZIk03
Valencia then added another to his World Cup goal tally, heading brilliantly home to - weirdly - make him the Golden Boot favourite... for a day at least.
Enner Goat Valencia gene şaşırtmadı…
— Feneronline (@Fener10line) November 20, 2022
Önce golü iptal oldu, sonra penaltı kazandırıp golü attı. pic.twitter.com/RTxhmZr9O4
Valencia is a star. I knew that. I knew that as soon as they announced the match up between Ecuador and Qatar I said Valencia would score. pic.twitter.com/OyIHxiK7Vb
— Kae Kurd (@KaeKurd) November 20, 2022
Those Valencia golden boot odds would’ve been crazy
— Dave (@TrapBasquiat) November 20, 2022
Despite being, in all honesty, completely terrible, Qatar did manage to create a great chance in added time at the end of the first half.
Said chance would fall to Almoez Ali, who was unable to direct a free header goalward after he had done well to latch onto a Hassan Al Haidos cross from the right flank.
It took 49 minutes and 53 seconds, but Qatar finally touched the ball in the Ecuador box.
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) November 20, 2022
A great chance for Almoez Ali to reduce the deficit, but he couldn't convert his header.#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/kSqsPzMeU3
Oh my god. What have you done Qatar. That was THE chance #FIFAWorldCup
— N.Sudarshan (@sudunarayan) November 20, 2022
Unfortunately for every single person watching the game, the start of the second half was rather dire.
Ecuador knew they had the game sewn up, while Qatar looked incapable of doing, well, anything ever.
It wasn't fun.
If comparing just the hosts, Russia was far better on the pitch than Qatar.
— Football Sapien (@FootballSapien) November 20, 2022
First game in 2018 was spectacular. Today’s match, now kinda boring.#FIFAWorldCup
second half been so boring 💀
— vlahović (@kumille_g) November 20, 2022
And that was that.
The second half really was that much of a non-event.
Ecuador were simply too good for a Qatar side who will need a minor miracle to score a goal at this tournament.