Bolivia got off to an absolute flyer against Ecuador on Tuesday in La Paz. This shouldn’t surprise anyone as Bolivia’s home gournd, Estadio Hernando Siles at an altitude of 11,932 feet above sea level, is almost a literal deathtrap for CONMEBOL opposition.
La Verde took a fourth minute lead through Pablo Escobar, the 38-year-old attacking midfielder just thrashing a shot from almost 25 yards out. The shot was sensational, flying into the top corner. However, Rodrigo Ramallo also deserves credit for applying the assist from his a**.
With a technique known as “sweeping the leg”, Ramallo provides a wonderfully threaded ball after drawing defenders towards him by eating s***. It’s all very clever from Ramallo and extremely underrated.
Most people are celebrating Pablo Escobar’s name in the aftermath of this goal, but we know who the real hero is.
Unfortunately for Bolivia, another Pablo Escobar goal in the 43rd minute would be answered by two goals from Ecuador’s Enner Valencia.
The final scoreline was 2-2, forcing Bolivia to settle for a single point and effectively eliminating them from 2018 World Cup contention. Bolivia haven't qualified for a World Cup since the 1994 edition in the United States.
Ecuador, on the other hand, are sitting pretty in third place, ahead of both Colombia and Argentina.
Follow me on Twitter: @ConmanFleming
