Ecuador's national team ended its Asian tour with a penalty shootout defeat. In the Kirin Cup 2026 third-place match, La Tri drew 1-1 with Panama in regular time but lost 7-6 from the spot.
That advantage, however, was not enough to avoid the shootout. Josué Vergara had opened the scoring for Panama in the 38th minute. During the extended penalty duel, both Anthony Valencia and Alfredo Griffith missed their kicks, while Panamanian goalkeeper Eddie Roberts saved an attempt from Riquelme Angulo.
Gallardo's Reaction
The Argentine coach, who took over on September 13, remained positive despite the result. "It's a serious group, willing to assimilate ideas, and I want them not to be satisfied with being a team that competes, but one that competes to win," Gallardo told reporters. He added that he leaves "with good feelings, in line with what I believe is the potential that exists in the national team."
This match at the National Stadium in Tokyo was the third of the Gallardo era, following a 3-0 loss to South Korea and a 0-0 draw with Japan that also ended in a penalty defeat. La Tri's current run stands at one win, two draws and two losses in their last five outings. Full-back Pervis Estupiñán missed the tour due to an internal knee sprain.
The squad now breaks up as players return to their clubs. The next official challenge will come in the World Cup qualifiers, where they will look to improve their attacking output. Fans can check the full match schedule on our fixtures page and the group situation in the standings.
Read the full report at Yahoo
