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Venezuela’s Eduard Bello, center, scores his side’s 2nd goal against Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Nahuel Ferraresi, rigth, and Tomas Rincon celebrate after beating 2-1 Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s goalkeeper Rafael Romo celebrates at the end of a Copa America in a Group B soccer match against Ecuador, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Ecuador’s players, front, react after lossing 1-2 against Venezuela during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ecuador’s players react after lossing 1-2 against Venezuela during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Eduard Bello reacts after beating 2-1 Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Jhonder Cadiz, left, controls the ball in front of Ecuador’s William Pacho during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Venezuela’s Yordan Osorio, top, heads the ball past Ecuador’s Jordy Caicedo during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Eduard Bello, center, scores his side’s 2nd goal against Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Yordan Osorio dribbles the ball during a Copa America Group B soccer match against Ecuador, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Eduard Bello, center, scores his side’s 2nd goal against Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Eduard Bello, center, scores his side’s 2nd goal against Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Nahuel Ferraresi, rigth, and Tomas Rincon celebrate after beating 2-1 Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Nahuel Ferraresi, rigth, and Tomas Rincon celebrate after beating 2-1 Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s goalkeeper Rafael Romo celebrates at the end of a Copa America in a Group B soccer match against Ecuador, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Venezuela’s goalkeeper Rafael Romo celebrates at the end of a Copa America in a Group B soccer match against Ecuador, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Ecuador’s players, front, react after lossing 1-2 against Venezuela during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ecuador’s players, front, react after lossing 1-2 against Venezuela during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ecuador’s players react after lossing 1-2 against Venezuela during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Ecuador’s players react after lossing 1-2 against Venezuela during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Eduard Bello reacts after beating 2-1 Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Eduard Bello reacts after beating 2-1 Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Jhonder Cadiz, left, controls the ball in front of Ecuador’s William Pacho during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Venezuela’s Jhonder Cadiz, left, controls the ball in front of Ecuador’s William Pacho during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Venezuela’s Yordan Osorio, top, heads the ball past Ecuador’s Jordy Caicedo during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Yordan Osorio, top, heads the ball past Ecuador’s Jordy Caicedo during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Eduard Bello, center, scores his side’s 2nd goal against Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Eduard Bello, center, scores his side’s 2nd goal against Ecuador during a Copa America Group B soccer match Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Yordan Osorio dribbles the ball during a Copa America Group B soccer match against Ecuador, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Venezuela’s Yordan Osorio dribbles the ball during a Copa America Group B soccer match against Ecuador, Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Jhonder Cádiz and Eduard Bello scored second-half goals after subbing on at halftime and Venezuela rallied for a 2-1 win over short-handed Ecuador on Saturday night in the opening round of group play at the Copa America.
Enner Valencia, who went into the tournament expected to lead Ecuador’s attack, was shown a straight red card in the 22nd minute and Ecuador played a man down the rest of the way.
Ecuador, however, took a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute when Jeremy Sarmiento took advantage of a failed clearance of a free kick into the area by Kendry Páez.
Cádiz played a one-touch shot from 15-yards out to make it 1-1 in the 64th minute.
Bello scored on a putback from point-blank range to give Venezuela a 2-1 lead in the 74th minute. Alexander González played an arcing entry from the right side to the center of the area and Salomón Rondón’s diving header was parried by goalkeeper Alexander Domínguez and Bello took advantage.
Rondón returned to the starting lineup after scoring as a substitute in the team’s last friendly match.
Ecuador, which entered the tournament ranked 30th in the FIFA rankings, plays Wednesday against Jamaica at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Venezuela, ranked 54th, plays Mexico on Wednesday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Venezuelan fans could be heard chanting, “Y va a car, y va a caer, este gobierno va a caer,” which translates to “And it’s going to fall, and it’s going to fall, this government is going to fall.” The chant comes ahead of the country’s presidential election on July 28.
Ecuador lost for just the second time in its last 11 encounters against Venezuela in all competitions (4-2-5). The only other time Venezuela beat Ecuador at the Copa America was 1-0 in 2011.
This story has been changed to correct that Ecuador’s record in its last 11 games, not 10, against Venezuela is 4-2-5, not 4-5-2.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
