Ecuador secured their place in the Copa America quarterfinals by earning a gritty and dramatic 0-0 draw against Mexico in their Group B finale on Sunday night in Glendale, Arizona. Ecuador (1-1-1, 4 points) withstood constant pressure throughout the match to secure second place in the group, edging out Mexico (1-1-1, 4 points) based on a superior goal differential. Ecuador finished with a goal differential of plus-one, while Mexico’s was even.
After eliminating Mexico, Ecuador will face defending champion Argentina on Thursday in Houston, aiming to reach their first semifinal since hosting the event in 1993. “We know Argentina is an unmatched opponent and we know how tough it’s going to be,” said Ecuador manager Felix Sanchez through an interpreter. “But our players are happy to move to the next round, and we’ll see how that unfolds.”
Mexico thought they had earned a penalty deep into second-half stoppage time when referee Mario Escobar pointed to the spot after Felix Torres’ challenge on Guillermo Martinez. However, Escobar reversed his decision after a VAR review showed that Torres made contact with the ball before Martinez fell.
In their first Copa America appearance since 2016, Mexico’s offensive struggles continued, scoring only once in their three group matches. This will likely increase the pressure on manager Jaime Lozano, the program’s third manager in the past 18 months. Lozano also faced criticism following Mexico’s loss to the United States in the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League final and two friendly defeats, including a 4-0 loss to Uruguay.
“Whenever an objective is not met, there is certain discomfort and doubts, that’s only natural,” Lozano said. “But the players kept believing until the very end; that’s not easy. It’s not easy to play with that strong union and the commitment they showed throughout the tournament. That decision (about my future) is not up to me.”
Mexico dominated the match, taking 19 shots to Ecuador’s nine, but managed only three on target and none before halftime. The most dangerous moments often came from Julian Quinones attacking down the left. After Luis Romo forced Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez into his first save in the 65th minute, Quinones tested Dominguez from distance. The goalkeeper made a diving stop but could only push the rebound to Mexico’s Santiago Gimenez, whose tight-angle shot hit the near post.
As Mexico pressed forward, Ecuador threatened on the counter. Enner Valencia’s dipping strike forced an uncertain save from Julio Gonzalez in the 68th minute, and Valencia missed a chance in the 80th minute when he opted to shoot rather than pass to a teammate.
“We know that we still have a lot of work ahead of us to keep evolving,” Sanchez said of his team’s defensive effort. “But this is Copa America, and we also need to understand the great progress we’ve made today, because we are moving to the next round.”
