Ecuador vs Costa Rica LIVE, Latest Score, Goals and Friendly Updates (1-0)

Costa Rica turn to their reserves at minute 58, introducing Josimar Mendez and Celso Borges while Andrey Soto and Roan Wilson head off.

Costa Rica make a 57th-minute substitution at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa Quito, bringing on Josimar Mendez for Francisco Calvo. Ecuador hold 54% of the ball and lead the shot count 10-4, with four attempts on target to the visitors' two alongside a 5-1 edge in corners.

Close call at 50'! Piero Hincapié puts his finish on frame, only for the goalkeeper to get across and make the stop.

Nine minutes after #9 Jordy Caicedo buried #3 Piero Hincapié's through ball into the bottom-left corner in minute 22 to put Ecuador 1-0 ahead, La Tri pressed for a second goal. #23 Moisés Caicedo recovered possession and laid the ball off to #24 Keny Arroyo, whose left-footed drive from outside the penalty area in minute 31 was charged down by Costa Rica's defensive block, one of 8 successful tackles out of 8 recorded by the visitors.

Fouls by #15 Francisco Calvo (30') and #12 Andrey Soto (33') slowed the rhythm heading toward the interval in Quito, where Ecuador's back line of #17 Ángelo Preciado, #25 Jackson Porozo, #6 Willian Pacho and #3 Piero Hincapié registered 5 effective clearances from 5 attempts and 4 successful tackles.

Costa Rica carved out the first shot on target of the night in minute 9. #17 Carlos Mora drove down the right channel and slid a crisp pass into the center of the box for #9 Manfred Ugalde, whose right-footed strike headed straight for the bottom-left corner until #1 Hernán Galíndez got down cleanly to parry.

One shot, one effort on target for Los Ticos.

Ecuador responded by pinning #19 Kenay Myrie deep on the flank, drawing fouls in minutes 1' and 14' before #10 John Yeboah fired high and wide left from outside the 18-yard box in minute 19.

Ecuador line up in a 4-4-2 system at Atahualpa: #1 Hernán Galíndez between the posts; #17 Ángelo Preciado, #25 Jackson Porozo, #6 Willian Pacho and #3 Piero Hincapié across the back four; #24 Keny Arroyo, #23 Moisés Caicedo, #15 Pedro Vite and #20 Nilson Angulo in midfield; #10 John Yeboah and #9 Jordy Caicedo up front.

Substitutes available: #12 Moisés Ramírez, #22 Gonzalo Valle, #2 Félix Torres, #4 Óscar Zambrano, #5 Jordy Alcívar, #7 Pervis Estupiñán, #8 Anthony Valencia, #11 Kevin Rodríguez, #13 Kendry Páez, #14 Bryan Ramírez, #16 Jeremy Sarmiento, #18 John Mercado, #19 Gonzalo Plata and #26 Snayder Porozo.

Costa Rica start in a 4-1-4-1 formation: #1 Patrick Sequeira in goal; #19 Kenay Myrie at right-back, #4 Juan Pablo Vargas and #15 Francisco Calvo at center-back, #8 Joseph Mora at left-back; #14 Roan Wilson holding at defensive midfield; #17 Carlos Mora, #21 Douglas López, #12 Andrey Soto and #10 Josimar Alcócer across the middle; #9 Manfred Ugalde leading the attack.

Bench options: #23 Abraham Madriz, #18 Bayron Mora, #2 Gerald Taylor, #3 Diego Mesén, #6 Aarón Salazar, #13 Alexis Gamboa, #5 Celso Borges, #11 Erson Méndez, #16 Gabriel Leiva, #20 Kenyel Michel, #22 Gian Mauro Morera Alvarado and #7 John Ruiz.

Despite 11 combined fouls in the first 39 minutes - 4 committed by Ecuador and 7 whistled against Costa Rica - the referee kept his cards in his pocket throughout the opening exchanges, with 0 yellow cards and 0 red cards shown before the final five minutes of the half.

Corner kicks favored the hosts 3 to 0.

Carlos Mora conceded Ecuador's first flag kick in minute 15 after #20 Nilson Angulo drew a foul from #19 Kenay Myrie on the left wing, and goalkeeper #1 Patrick Sequeira conceded another in minute 20 just 120 seconds before Ecuador broke the deadlock.

Pairing #9 Jordy Caicedo (central reference) alongside #10 John Yeboah gives Ecuador two totally different profiles against Costa Rica's central defenders #15 Francisco Calvo and #4 Juan Pablo Vargas. Yeboah drifts right-to-center to uncork left-footed strikes from 20 yards, as he showed in minute 19, whereas Jordy Caicedo pins the left shoulder of Calvo waiting for ground passes slipped through the seam.

At the other end, #9 Manfred Ugalde works alone against #6 Willian Pacho and #25 Jackson Porozo, forcing #1 Hernán Galíndez into a sharp low save to his bottom-left corner in minute 9 off a feed from #17 Carlos Mora.

Look at the firepower Ecuador kept in reserve on the touchline tonight: teenage playmaker #13 Kendry Páez, left-back #7 Pervis Estupiñán, wingers #19 Gonzalo Plata and #16 Jeremy Sarmiento, center-back #2 Félix Torres, striker #11 Kevin Rodríguez and midfielder #4 Óscar Zambrano all started among the 15 substitutes.

Fifteen bench options give Ecuador fresh legs everywhere.

Costa Rica carry 12 substitutes of their own, headlined by veteran midfielder #5 Celso Borges, right-back #2 Gerald Taylor, tall center-half #13 Alexis Gamboa, #7 John Ruiz, #6 Aarón Salazar and #20 Kenyel Michel. With six friendly substitutions available in the second 45 minutes, tactical rotations after the interval carry real weight.

Ecuador's engine room pairs #23 Moisés Caicedo on the right of central midfield with #15 Pedro Vite to his left, flanked by wide runners #24 Keny Arroyo and #20 Nilson Angulo. Every second ball won between the center circle and the 25-yard line feeds straight into Yeboah's left foot or Jordy Caicedo's diagonal runs behind #4 Juan Pablo Vargas.

Costa Rica answer with a five-man midfield shield.

#14 Roan Wilson anchors the space right in front of Calvo and Vargas, allowing #21 Douglas López and #12 Andrey Soto to step into Vite's passing lanes while #17 Carlos Mora and #10 Josimar Alcócer track Ecuador's fullbacks #17 Ángelo Preciado and #3 Piero Hincapié.

Possession split almost dead even across the first 38 minutes: 50.4 percent for Ecuador against 49.6 percent for Los Ticos, with zero offsides called on either side.

Atahualpa sits at 2,850 meters in north-central Quito, with a capacity of 35,258 spectators and thin Andean air that flattens driven shots from 22 to 28 yards. Goalkeepers #1 Hernán Galíndez and #1 Patrick Sequeira deal with noticeably faster bounce off the damp turf whenever wingers cut onto their stronger foot.

Short recovery windows punish sloppy turnovers.

Through the opening 35 minutes of play, the pass counts reflect a measured tempo rather than frantic open-field running: Ecuador completed 114 of 135 passes (84.4 percent accuracy) with 4 accurate long balls out of 14, while Costa Rica logged 105 completions from 138 attempts, 3 accurate long balls from 19 tries and 9 clearances inside their own penalty area.

Good evening from Quito, where Ecuador welcome Costa Rica to Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa at 2,850 meters above sea level in the November 2026 FIFA window. Kickoff rolled at 7:00 p.m. local time in Ecuador (7:00 p.m. ET in New York, 6:00 p.m. in San José).

Altitude changes ball speed inside ten minutes.

La Tri line up in a flat 4-4-2 built around #23 Moisés Caicedo in central midfield and #3 Piero Hincapié down the left channel, pairing #9 Jordy Caicedo with #10 John Yeboah up top while Costa Rica counter in a compact 4-1-4-1 led by #9 Manfred Ugalde and veteran center-back #15 Francisco Calvo.