Ecuador’s under-15s are into the last 16 of the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival. Cristian Cachipuendo’s Mini Tri drew 1-1 with Bulgaria in the Tier A round of 32 in Baku on Wednesday morning, then won the penalty shootout 3-2. “¡Estamos en octavos de final!” La Tri posted after the game.
A real test
This was the toughest opponent Ecuador had faced in Azerbaijan. Bulgaria won all four of their group games, scoring 14 goals, and striker Ivan Dedev had seven of them. After cruising through Group U with 17 goals scored and one conceded, the Mini Tri needed a shootout to get past them. Knockout games here are 8v8 with two 20-minute halves, so a draw goes straight to penalties.
Spain next, on the same day
There’s no time to recover. Ecuador play Spain in the round of 16 later on Wednesday, October 28, at 12:45 PM ET (11:45 AM in Ecuador) on Pitch 10B at the Hovsan Competition Complex, according to FIFA’s match calendar. Spain also went the distance in their round of 32, drawing 1-1 with Wales after a late equaliser and winning the shootout 4-3.
The tournament wraps up with the final on Friday, October 30. Teams that lose in the knockout rounds keep playing in placement brackets, so Ecuador still have games in Baku whatever happens against Spain.
Elsewhere in South America
It was a good morning for CONMEBOL sides. Colombia beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1, Paraguay beat Cyprus 4-0, Uruguay thrashed Estonia 6-0 and Brazil beat Ireland 7-2. Venezuela got past Northern Ireland on penalties and face Brazil next. Peru went out to Italy, losing 4-3 on penalties.
We’ll have the Spain result as soon as it’s final. Kickoff times in Baku can move, so check La Tri’s channels and our Ecuador schedule page before the game.
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