PHILADELPHIA (AP) 鈥� South American teams have got off to disappointing start to the , failing to produce a win in three games.
1-0 on Sunday in Philadelphia. 1鈥�1 with Morocco on Saturday, and 4鈥�1 by tournament co-host the United States.
Comments from coaches after the underwhelming results struck a similar tone.
Ecuador coach Sebasti谩n Beccacece called it a 鈥渧ery painful situation.鈥� Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro referred to his team’s loss as a 鈥渧ery painful lesson.鈥�
Coach Carlo Ancelotti said five-time World Cup champion Brazil cannot lose heart: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 win a World Cup based on your first match.鈥�
Uruguay plays its first game Monday against Saudi Arabia, defending champion Argentina takes on Algeria on Tuesday and Colombia is against Uzbekistan on Wednesday.
South America has a proud soccer tradition, and is the only continent other than Europe to produce World Cup champions.
The slow start to the tournament of some South American nations contrasts to a solid opening performance by North American teams on home soil.
鈥淭he U.S. won this match very clearly and fairly,鈥� Alfaro said after Paraguay’s opening loss. 鈥淭hey dominated tactically, technically and physically as well. They have answers to everything you throw at them.鈥�
Adding to the victory by the U.S., with a 2-0 win over South Africa, and after a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ecuador, making its fifth World Cup appearance and aiming to reach the knockout round for the second time, was playing a virtual home game at Philadelphia Stadium, where most of the capacity crowd of 68,274 wore the team’s yellow jerseys.
But La Tri saw its 19-game unbeaten streak end with its first loss since a 1-0 defeat to Brazil in September 2024.
鈥淚’m very sorry we did not give our fans the joy they came to seek,鈥� Beccacece said. 鈥淚t was an unfair defeat, played out in a fantastic stadium atmosphere. We have to process it, put what happened behind us, focus on what lies ahead, and 鈥� I believe鈥� keep the faith.鈥�
Ecuador captain Enner Valencia said the team remains hopeful despite the loss.
鈥淲e鈥檙e keeping our heads held high knowing that this is just the beginning,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd there鈥檚 still a tournament ahead of us.鈥�
After the game, Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez spoke about the unpredictability of the World Cup opening games and how they shouldn’t necessarily be a marker of the tournament’s finishing results.
鈥淚n the last World Cup, we won the first game and then were left out,鈥� he said. 鈥淎rgentina, in the last World Cup, lost the first game and won the World Cup, so nothing guarantees you anything.鈥�
___
AP World Cup:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
