PUERTO LA CRUZ, Venezuela (AP) — Ecuador sacó el martes un valioso empate 1-1 en su visita a Venezuela, resultado que le permite mantenerse entre los tres primeros de la eliminatoria sudamericana al Mundial de Brasil 2014.

Juan Arango abrió el marcador para Venezuela a los seis minutos, pero Segundo Castillo logró empatar a los 24.

Los ecuatorianos, que suman 17 puntos en nueve partidos, se encuentran en una cerrada lucha en el tope de la tabla de posiciones con Argentina, que tiene 17 puntos y que más tarde se medía ante Chile. También está Colombia, que suma 16 unidades y tuvo la fecha libre.

Por su parte, la "Vinotinto", el único equipo sudamericano que nunca se clasificó al Mundial, sigue en la pelea por la clasificación con 12 puntos.

Los cuatro primeros lugares avanzarán directamente a Brasil y el quinto jugará un repechaje.

"Fue un partido bastante duro, comenzamos bastante bien, pero al conseguir el empate, ellos se metieron un poco más atrás para salir al contragolpe", dijo Arango, mediocampista del Borussia Moenchengladbach de Alemania

"Nos costó abrir los espacios, sin embargo, tuvimos varias ocasiones y antes del empate incluso tuvimos bastantes oportunidades como para liquidar el partido", acotó.

El equipo visitante salió presionando la salida de balón de Venezuela, mostrándose bien parado y adelantando su línea defensiva. Sin embargo, el atrevimiento de Arango facilitó encontrar el camino al arco rival.

Arango anotó con un espectacular bombazo desde 25 metros, que sorprendió adelantado al arquero Alexander Domínguez y dejó congelados a dos defensores.

Acto seguido, Ecuador le bajó la intensidad a las acciones y empezó a tener más el balón. Más ordenado, Ecuador elevó la intensidad en su ataque, y acabó por conseguir la paridad.

Michael Arroyo cobró un tiro de esquina hacia el segundo palo, Christian Benítez peinó hacia atrás y el rebote le quedó a su compañero Segundo Castillo, quien acto seguido se acomodó y no tuvo problemas para definir con un disparo que pasó centellante al costado derecho del arquero Dani Hernández.

"Fue un partido trabado, muy equilibrado. El mérito es de los dos equipos, cada quien hizo su trabajo y aunque tuvimos varias oportunidades de anotar no se pudo, también nos faltó un poco de suerte", dijo Oswaldo Minda, volante del Chivas de Estados Unidos.

En el complemento el ritmo fue nuevamente vertiginoso, pero no se concretó en goles.

A los 54 minutos, Arango estrelló el balón en el palo izquierdo, cuando el arquero Domínguez lucía ya vencido.

La más clara oportunidad de gol para los ecuatorianos se produjo a los 66, cuando Arroyo remató solo desde fuera y el balón pegó en el travesaño.

Para sorpresa de muchos en la ceremonia previa del partido se escuchó el himno mexicano en lugar de los acordes del "¡Salve, oh, Patria!" de Ecuador, lo causó desconcierto entre los jugadores, que dejaron de cantar y se les vio cuando volteaban su mirada a todos lados, esperando una corrección que nunca llegó.

El hecho pasó inadvertido para algunos hinchas de Ecuador, al punto que varias personas con la camiseta del seleccionado ecuatoriano se les pudo observar aplaudiendo durante la transmisión de televisión.

Voceros de la Federación Venezolana de Fútbol y de los organizadores del partido declinaron formular algún comentario.

El encuentro se disputó en el estadio General José Antonio Anzoátegui en Puerto La Cruz, a unos 350 kilómetros al este de Caracas.

___

Alineaciones:

VENEZUELA: Dani Hernández, Alexander González (Gabriel Cichero, 81), Fernando Amorebieta, Grendy Perozo, Roberto Rosales, Franklin Lucena, Evelio Hernández, Juan Arango, Edgar Pérez Greco (Ronald Vargas, 57), Josef Martínez (Nicolás Fedor, 68) y José Salomón Rondón.

ECUADOR: Alexander Domínguez, Juan Carlos Paredes, Gabriel Achilier, Fricson Erazo, Wálter Ayoví, Antonio Valencia, Christian Noboa (Jefferson Montero, 80), Segundo Castillo, Michael Arroyo (Joao Rojas, 89), Christian Benítez y Jaime Ayoví (Oswaldo Minda, 72).

Arbitro: Néstor Pitana (Argentina)

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