By Miguel Rapetti
Jun 22, 2024, 18:53 PM EDT
The meeting between Ecuador and Venezuela for the first day of Group B of the Copa América brought the first expulsion in the Copa América 2024 after the La Tri attacker, Enner Valencia, committed a reckless and violent foul against the Venezuelan midfielder José Martínez.
Before the opening 20 minutes and with Ecuador dominating, an attacking action culminated with a strong shot by John Yeboah that culminated in a great response from the Venezuelan goalkeeper Rafa Romo, but on his rebound the terrible action occurred that left the southerners with 10 players.
When trying to get the rebound, Valencia raised his leg to such an extent that he slammed his cleats between the neck and face of Martínez, who ended up clearing the ball.
The action was initially sanctioned with a yellow card by the main player of the match, the Colombian Wilmar Roldán, but after the assistance of the VAR and a visit to the box located on the side of the field, the yellow card was reversed and changed to red. .
The action was harshly criticized by the Ecuadorian players who pointed out that Valencia’s entry was unintentional.
Watch the first red card of the Copa América 2024 here:
Keep reading:
“The intention is to win the tournament”: Christian Pulisic believes that the US can make the leap in the Copa América
Endrick only has his mind on the Copa América: “This is not the time to talk about Madrid, I’m only thinking about Brazil”
Concacaf investigates racist acts against Moise Bombito after giving a harsh tackle to Lionel Messi