- Ecuador face Qatar in opener
- Valencia has early goal ruled out
- Scores again from the penalty spot
WHAT HAPPENED? The first goal of the World Cup arrived on 16 minutes when Valencia rolled home a penalty for Ecuador against hosts Qatar. Valencia had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside but bounced back strongly. The Ecuador captain won a penalty after being caught by goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb and coolly converted the ensuing spot-kick.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Valencia's goal means he is now Ecuador's highest-scoring player in World Cup history with four goals, overtaking Agustin Delgado on three.
WHAT NEXT FOR ECUADOR? Gustavo Alfaro's side are back in action on Friday against the Netherlands.
