There is the case of South Africa, which in 2010 forced Mexico to a draw at the opening of its tournament. Qatar, on the other hand, put on a bad face with their 2-0 loss to Ecuador and made history as the first host to lose the opening match.
If there were doubts about the quality of the Qatari team, these were settled early in the match, when an Ecuadorian storm reminded the locals that organizing the World Cup is only the first step, you also have to play it.
Ecuador, which fields several soccer players who play or have played in the Mexican league, is never an improvised team and if Colombia or Chile are not in Qatar today it is a testament to the quality of the South American team.
However, even his good level, especially in the first half, took second place to the low level of his rival. Apart from a couple of headers and a shot that missed the crossbar, Qatar was harmless. Hernán Galindez, the Ecuadorian goalkeeper, took the ball with his hands for the first time until the 87th minute of the game.
For the Ecuadorians, a 2-0 victory seems like a small reward, since they were able to score at least three more goals, which they may need if they tie on points with Senegal or the Netherlands to advance to the next round.
Qatar, meanwhile, has long days ahead of their next two games, which will surely be the last in their short stay in the tournament they play at home.