Ecuador have been incredibly consistent in the current World Cup qualifiers: The team has now been unbeaten in the last four World Cup qualifying matches. In the early stages of the game against Brazil it looked unlikely that Piero Hincapie and Co. would earn a point. Ecuador first went a goal down after six minutes and one of the Leverkusen player’s teammates was shown a red card on the quarter-hour mark.
Brazil then had a player sent off for two yellow card offences a few minutes later to equal out the numbers. The hosts refused to give up – and they hit back. Felix Torres, who plays for Santos Laguna in Mexico, levelled the scores at 1-1 on 75 minutes. Hincapie played the full game.
That means Ecuador remain in third place after 15 of 18 games. With nine points to play for and a lead of seven points to the play-off spot, it appears the fourth qualification for the World Cup finals is on the cards. That could be sealed overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday with a win against Peru.
Charles Aránguiz was also involved in a World Cup qualifier. Chile, with the Werkself midfielder playing the full 90 minutes like Hincapie, entertained second-placed Argentina overnight. Aránguiz and Co. also went behind early on. They levelled in the middle of the first half but the Albiceleste took the lead again at 2-1 before half-time and that scoreline remained to the end.
As the seventh-placed team in the South American qualifying group, Chile are not certain of qualifying. The gap to the play-off position of fifth is one point with them having played a game more. The second and final match of the current international break for Aránguiz and Co. is on Tuesday 1 February. In the game against closest rivals Bolivia – one point behind Chile having played a game less – a victory is a must.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen have loaned U19 midfielder Jeremiah Mensah to Dutch second-tier side Roda JC Kerkrade for one year. The 18-year-old Germany youth international has a long-term contract at the club to 2031.
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Bayer 04 kick off the final phase of their 2026/27 pre-season preparations with a friendly against Premier League club Nottingham Forest. Head coach Carles Martínez’s team will take to the pitch at the City Ground today, Wednesday 12 August (kick-off: 8.45 pm/7.45 pm local time). Werkself-TV will broadcast the match live and in full exclusively for Bayer 04 members via livestream from 8.35 pm...
Villa Fiorito, River Plate, Ligue 1, the World Cup final and now Bayer 04: Facundo Medina’s life story so far has been shaped by special places, clubs, matches and names. One of them is Diego Maradona, who, like Medina, hailed from the south of Buenos Aires. Another is Exequiel Palacios, his former team-mate at River Plate, who was raving about Bayer 04 to him as recently as the World Cup in North America. Medina has now taken the plunge into the Bundesliga and, as an Argentine World Cup runner-up, has joined Bayer 04 from Olympique de Marseille this week. It is set to be the next successful chapter in his career. Leverkusen’s new number 2 brings with him a South American mentality and passion, a wealth of experience from many years in Ligue 1, and a fascinating story to the Rhineland – and to a club where the 1.84-metre-tall left-footed player will be reunited with Palacios and several other familiar faces.
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Shortly after signing his contract with Bayer 04, new signing Facundo Medina spoke to Werkself.tv about his first impressions of the club, his expectations and his conversations with his Argentine compatriot Exequiel Palacios. The defender also reveals what the fans can look forward to. Welcome to Leverkusen, Facu!
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Welcome back! On Tuesday morning, 11 August, Jarell Quansah and Exequiel Palacios – the last of the Werkself’s World Cup participants – returned to training. The two medallists and their team-mates are set to play their final two pre-season friendlies in England this week before the start of competitive fixtures.
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