Yeboah dishes decisive brace of assists in Ecuador's 2-1 audition vs Saudi Arabia

Ecuador closed their May camp with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in Harrison tonight, and the headline is simple: John Yeboah supplied both goals for S. Beccacece. The friendly might have been an audition, yet the output felt definitive.

Beccacece kept faith with a 4-2-3-1 built around Denil Castillo screening and Anthony Valencia drifting inside, while H. Renard lined Saudi Arabia up in a 4-4-2 that prioritised ball control over incision. Saudi Arabia had 58 percent of the ball but in the key moments Ecuador were sharper. Yeboah spotted Jackson Porozo from a first-half set piece routine and the defender converted in the 35th minute. It rewarded a spell where Ecuador pressed higher off José Hurtado’s flank despite the right back taking a yellow card in the 18th minute.

The halftime reset was decisive. Hurtado, Jordy Caicedo and Darwin Guagua made way for Ángelo Preciado, Kevin Rodriguez and Jordy Alcívar as Beccacece chased more pace and cleaner distribution. Renard also shuffled his pack, introducing Nasser Al Dawsari and Ali Lajami at the break, but the rhythm stayed Ecuadorian. Six minutes into the new half Yeboah slipped Valencia through and the winger finished in the 51st minute, doubling the lead and underlining why the staff rate his timing on the blindside.

Saudi Arabia’s response was to add runners from the bench. Sultan Mandash replaced Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat in the 62nd minute, with Ala'a Al-Hejji and Saleh Abu Al-Shamat joining in the 73rd minute, quickly followed by Abdullah Al Hamdan and Khalid Al Ghannam. The fresh legs produced territory but little end product until the 87th minute, when Mandash converted Al-Hejji’s work to pull one back. Even then Ecuador mostly held firm, helped by Pervis Estupiñán’s leadership before he ceded to Fricio Caicedo in the 90+4th minute. Ali Lajami’s yellow card in the 90+1st minute was the last Saudi note.

Yeboah’s withdrawal for Kendry Páez in the 64th minute and Nilson Angulo’s swap for John Mercado at the same time signalled the coaching staff were already looking at depth pieces. Yaimar Medina’s entry for Castillo in the 77th minute added defensive cover as the game tilted. Moisés Ramírez only had to make one save, which says plenty about how efficiently Porozo and Félix Torres managed the Saudi forwards.

Statistics

• Shots on target: Ecuador 6, Saudi Arabia 2
• Possession: Ecuador 42 percent, Saudi Arabia 58 percent
• Pass completion: Ecuador 85 percent, Saudi Arabia 83 percent
• Fouls: Ecuador 16, Saudi Arabia 11
• Corner kicks: Ecuador 2, Saudi Arabia 2

Ecuador now pivot toward their June itinerary with confidence, looking to lock the core ahead of World Cup qualifying’s restart later this year. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, will revisit the final-third formula before the next tune-up, with Renard needing Mandash’s cameo to become a habit. For more from tonight’s friendly slate, see the wrap of Mexico vs Australia.