Ecuador and England played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in their World Cup warm-up match in Miami this evening.
Ecuador took the lead against an experimental England side after just eight minutes when Enner Valencia powered a header into the top corner, but Wayne Rooney levelled things up before the break with a scrappy goal from close range.
Rickie Lambert then added to his impressive international record with a crisp finish before Michael Arroyo rescued a draw for his side with a superb long-range strike in the 70th minute.
Both sides finished the match with 10 men as Antonio Valencia reacted angrily to a tackle from Raheem Sterling, resulting in both players being sent off.
You can read how an absorbing match unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's live minute-by-minute coverage below.
Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's World Cup warm-up match between Ecuador and England at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami. We have just eight days until the tournament itself kicks off, and the excitement surrounding Brazil 2014 is reaching fever pitch. Both sides will be keen to continue their preparations with a positive result tonight, so we should have an intriguing encounter on our hands. Let's start with a look at the South Americans...
Things haven't exactly gone perfectly for Ecuador in their build-up to this summer's World Cup. They have played two warm-up matches so far and, while they recorded a very respectable 1-1 draw with Netherlands in their first, they fell to a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Mexico last Saturday. Castillo suffered an injury in that game that could endanger his World Cup hopes as well, so it was a double blow for the South Americans.
Indeed, since clinching qualification for the World Cup, their results have very much been a mixed bag. They have pulled off decent draws against the likes of Argentina and the aforementioned one against Holland, but they have also been held by the likes of Honduras, while losing to Mexico. They have just one victory in their last six outings overall having beaten Australia 4-3 in a friendly exactly three months ago today.
That extended poor form stretches all the way back to March of last year, since when they have won just two of their 13 outings. In addition to the win over Australia, their only other success was a 1-0 triumph against Uruguay, who England will face in the group stages of the World Cup. That victory proved to be an important one as it effectively secured their place in the tournament.
The fact that they qualified automatically for the World Cup should be a sign that they are not a team to be taken lightly. Ecuador are by no means regarded as a powerhouse of world football, but they are regulars at the World Cup now and have plenty of experience playing against the biggest teams. They ended the South American qualifying campaign in fourth place, level on points with Uruguay but above them on goal difference to force Luis Suarez and co into a playoff against Jordan.
It was their home form that dragged them through the qualifying campaign, however. They dropped just two points throughout in front of their own fans as only Argentina avoided defeat to Reinaldo Rueda's men. There has been talk of a South American World Cup benefitting the teams from that continent, but Ecuador have shown that they struggle on their travels. It may be different against a European team not accustomed to the heat of Brazil, but the away form will certainly be a concern for Rueda.
The South Americans have been blessed with a kind group on paper, however. They open their campaign with a match against Switzerland who, despite being ranked high by FIFA, aren't expected to pose too much of a threat to the traditionally bigger World Cup nations. Honduras follow Switzerland and, despite being held to a 202 draw against them recently, Ecuador will be confident of picking up three points. The toughest game on paper looks likely to come in their final outing as they take on France, who are favourites to progress as group winners.
They also have a manager with World Cup experience under his belt in the form of Reinaldo Rueda. He faces a reunion with former side Honduras in the group stages, whom he led into the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Having failed to win any of their warm-up matches so far, tonight represents Ecuador's final chance to get a morale-boosting victory before the tournament, and Reinaldo will be looking to use all of his experience to ensure that happens.
England's man at the helm is by no means wet behind the ears himself. Roy Hodgson will be one of the most experienced managers at the tournament this summer, but the same cannot be said of the squad he has chosen. While old-timers like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have been included, the likes of Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Luke Shaw give the squad a more youthful and exciting feel. Whether those youngsters sink or swim under World Cup pressure remains to be seen, but it is a bold move from Hodgson.
He has done plenty of tinkering with his lineup this evening - as expected - which will give him a good chance to have a look at the players currently on the fringes of the starting XI. The team that played on Friday night against Peru is likely to be a signal of what Hodgson is thinking for the opening group game against Italy on June 14, but there are a few positions still up for grabs and good displays today and on Saturday against Honduras could cause him to rethink a few things.
That victory over Peru looks a lot more routine than it was in reality, and there is no doubt that there is plenty of room for improvement for the Three Lions. However, it was certainly a worthwhile friendly to play, if only to see his working starting XI in action together, and to give the players more time to get used to each other. Peru and Ecuador should also give the team some idea of what to expect against Uruguay in the group stages, and other South American teams should England progress further.
Tonight is the penultimate warm-up match for Roy Hodgson's men, with Honduras waiting on Saturday night before they finally fly down to Brazil. It is likely that England will revert to a more recognisable starting lineup for that game, so this could well be the final chance to impress for a number of players looking to press their case for a starting spot against Italy. The England fans will be hoping that that makes for a less laboured display than the one against Peru - although a similar scoreline would certainly be welcomed.
Another important factor for England in these warm-up matches is getting used to the conditions that they will be playing in. Manaus is an extreme example of the heat they will face, but as they open up their campaign against Italy there then they will need to get accustomed to it quickly. There has been 67% humidity forecast for tonight's match, which is less than is expected on June 14 but still should test the players' ability to stand up to tough conditions.
England will also benefit from playing away from home - tonight will be the first time that they have turned out anywhere other than Wembley since September last year. Their record on the road in recent games isn't great, with just one win in their last five - and that coming against minnows San Marino. However, to look at their record in a more positive way, they have lost just one of their 15 away outings since being dumped out of the last World Cup by Germany.
Their warm weather ambitions have been hampered by rain in both Miami and Portugal, but tonight should be more like the conditions they will face in Brazil. Hodgson would not have been expecting to have to cancel his training session on Monday due to a torrential storm, so that part of the preparation for this game has not been ideal, but overall it appears that the build-up to the World Cup has gone well for England so far. A convincing victory - and a performance to match - would continue that tonight.
TEAM NEWS: I mentioned early that Hodgson had done some tinkering with the team, and that is most certainly the case. Indeed, it should probably be classed as more than just 'tinkering', with Wayne Rooney the only player to keep his place from the Peru match. Even his position has changed, however, as he starts out on the left with Lambert up front and Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right. Ecuador, meanwhile, have Antonio Valencia starting, as well as danger man Felipe Caicedo. Full team news for both sides on the way...
ECUADOR STARTING XI: Banguera; Paredes, Guagua, Erazo, W. Ayovi, A. Valencia, Noboa, Gruezo, Montero, E. Valencia, Caicedo
ECUADOR SUBS: Bone, Mendez, Martinez, Achilier, Ayovi, Rojas, Saritama, Arroyo, Bagui, Ibarra
ENGLAND STARTING XI: Foster; Milner, Shaw, Jones, Smalling; Lampard, Wilshere, Barkley; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rooney, Lambert
ENGLAND SUBS: Forster, Henderson, Sterling, Welbeck, Lallana, Flanagan, Stones
So, what can we make of those two sides? Well, the main man to watch for Ecuador in terms of goals will be Felipe Caicedo. English fans may remember him from an unsuccessful stint at Manchester City, but with seven goals he topped Ecuador's scoring charts during the qualifying campaign.
English fans will also be fully aware of Antonio Valencia, who will pose a threat to the inexperienced Luke Shaw on Ecuador's right flank. The duo could well be playing together for Manchester United next season, but Shaw will get a close look at his potential future teammate tonight. Valencia can be very hard to deal with when at his best, but there are also plenty of weaknesses to his game that England can take advantage of.
Most of the pre-match talk for England has centred around the man who could well drop back to help deal with Valencia - Wayne Rooney. Rooney's performance against Peru was very disappointing, leading to some calls for the United striker to be dropped for the opening World Cup game. Instead, Hodgson has decided to put him on the left wing for tonight's match - an interesting move that could pave the way for a Barkley or a Sterling to come into the starting lineup.
Another interesting selection from Hodgson's experimental lineup is the decision to use James Milner at right-back. The midfielder has played there for his club before and is versatile enough to do a job, but he is not a natural in the position and I would be surprised if Glen Johnson loses his starting place to the Man City man. Johnson, along with Rooney, played poorly against Peru, and Hodgson could well be making sure the Liverpool defender knows that he is not assured a starting place against Italy.
Of the players selected in tonight's match, it could probably be argued that three have a genuine chance of working their way into the starting lineup for the Italy game - discounting Rooney, who is likely to be in there anyway. Wilshere, Barkley and Oxlade-Chamberlain will be eager to impress tonight, and a good display from any of them could lead to Hodgson seriously considering a spot for them on June 14.
Lambert is unlikely to oust his new club teammate Daniel Sturridge from the starting berth up front, while England's back five has looked settled for a while now. Barring any injuries, it would be a surprise if Hart, Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka and Baines didn't start against Italy, but the likes of Jones and Smalling will be keen to impress having been handed a rare chance to play from the beginning of an international match. Shaw is still something of an unknown quantity at this level, so it will be interesting to see how he gets on tonight. He could well play without fear and impress, or the pressure of effectively being Ashley Cole's successor could get to him.
One notable absentee from the starting lineup against tonight is Sterling, who enjoyed a fine season at club level. There has been something of a clamour to include the youngster for the group games so that England have a bit more pace and flair about their play - something he added when he came on against Peru. The Liverpool man is expected to feature at some point tonight, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him start against Honduras on Saturday. If he impresses in both games then he could well be in the XI to face Italy.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes from kickoff at the Sun Life Stadium, which means that it is time for a match prediction! This one is a fairly tricky one to call given England's experimental nature. A lot will depend upon how the fringe players perform tonight as Ecuador will not make it easy for them. The South Americans will be desperate for a good result following their defeat to Mexico, and they're more than capable of claiming at least a draw. However, I think England should just about have enough about them to win this one this evening, so I'm going for a 1-0 victory for Roy Hodgson's side.
The last time these two sides faced each other was in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. It was 1-0 to England on that occasion too as a fine David Beckham free kick on the hour mark sent the Three Lions through to the quarter-finals.
Besides that match, these two nations have only met one other time - way back in 1970. England won again on that occasion, with Lee and Kidd getting the goals in a 2-0 victory for the then-World Cup holders.
The youthful nature of the England squad is demonstrated by the fact that only Rooney and Lampard remain from the team that won in the 2006 World Cup match. Gerrard was also involved on that occasion, but the skipper has been left out of the squad this evening so will not get another shot at the South Americans.
The anthems have been sung, the flags exchanged and all other niceties attended to - now it's time for the football! The crowd is sparse inside the Sun Life Stadium, but there is still a special feel about the match being so close to a World Cup. This is the penultimate leg for England and the final one for Ecuador, so time is running out for the preparations to be completed.
KICKOFF: Ecuador get us underway inside the Sun Life Stadium for this World Cup warm-up match, but England are straight on the attack. Rooney almost has an early chance as Lampard lifts the ball into the box, but the United man just can't get it under control.
Really good start from England here. Gruezo dwells on the ball for just too long, and Barkley is immediately hounding him. The Everton man wins the ball and drives at the defence, but his pass to Wilshere is poor. A better ball then and Wilshere would have had a clear chance to open the scoring.
Barkley has certainly made a bright start to this match, looking to close the Ecuador defence down quickly. He is also looking to carry the ball forward from midfield, giving England the drive and impetus that they lacked at times on Friday.
Speaking of Barkley, he looks to have a glorious chance to open the scoring having been played through by Lambert, but the linesman's flag is up. It was a close offside call, but it was just about right.
CHANCE! England's good start is certainly being helped by Ecuador's sloppiness here. Again they give the ball away in a dangerous area and Lambert eventually feeds the ball through to Lampard, who puts his effort wide from inside the box. He usually does better from that position.
GOAL! Ecuador 1-0 England (Enner Valencia)
Oh my word, where did that come from?! England, who have been in complete control, find themselves behind early on after Ecuador's first attack. It is a thumping header from Enner Valencia, who climbed over Shaw to power it past Foster from Ayovi's cross. Not great defending from Shaw or Smalling there, but take nothing away from the finish.
This is an interesting test for England now. They made a good start to this match and were looking in better shape than in the Peru match on Friday, but that goal will have rocked them. There is still plenty of time for things to change, of course, but this situation should give Hodgson a good look at some of his young team's character.
England have resumed control of proceedings following that goal, but both sides are a bit scrappy in possession at the moment. England's defence has been earmarked as a weak point, and that showed again in that opening goal.
Really good football from England as Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wilshere and Barkley link up on the edge of the box. The latter sends a brilliant back-heel through to Rooney, but the United man's stabbed cross runs along the six-yard box with no red shirts there to tap it home. Better from England, and nice from Barkley in particular.
SAVE! More nervy moments at the back for England. Smalling's header back to Foster is not great, allowing a yellow shirt to nip in and reach the ball before the England keeper. His is forced wide and eventually recycles it as England scramble in defence. The ball ends up coming out to Gruezo, whose low curling effort is comfortably saved by Foster.
Worrying moment for Ecuador as Ayovi goes down following an innocuous clash with Oxlade-Chamberlain, who had turned the defender. After receiving a bit of treatment he is up and back on, however, so it doesn't look like anything too serious.
Careless from Milner as he gives the ball straight to Montero, gifting a two-on-one situation to Ecuador. However, Montero's pass is behind Valencia and England are just about able to get it clear.
SAVE! Ecuador come forward again as Foster is forced to come out and make a good stop. Caicedo, who has been a handful already tonight, plays the ball through for Montero, who reaches the ball before Foster but can't squeeze it past Foster.
CHANCE! At the other end, Barkley drives forward from midfield and makes it all the way to the edge of the box before his pass to Oxlade-Chamberlain was just too late and too heavy. The Arsenal winger managed to salvage it, however, and took it past two players to reach the byline before cutting it back towards Barkley, but Erazo was there to deny the Everton man a simple finish.
Barkley's decision making was a little awry there, but his run from midfield was really positive. His first thought always seems to be to drive forward and make something happen, which is something England don't have a lot of the time.
SAVE! Banguera is called into action with a save for the cameras to deny Lampard, who let fly from all of 35 yards out. It was a fine strike from the soon-to-be-ex-Chelsea man, but the Ecuador keeper saw it all the way and tipped it over the top.
Ecuador come forward again and work it from side to side, eventually drawing Shaw inside and creating space for Valencia. The United winger takes a touch before trying to drill a ball into a dangerous area, but it is a poor cross and goes behind for a goal kick.
Caicedo is certainly a handful up front for Ecuador. His physical presence is causing England's defence plenty of problems here, with Smalling in particular struggling to deal with him so far.
GOAL! Ecuador 1-1 England (Wayne Rooney)
England are level! It is a messy goal, but they won't mind one bit. Oxlade-Chamberlain does really well down the right to drive forward again, and his ball draws out the keeper and allows Lambert to collect it on his chest at the back post. The chance appears to have gone for a brief second in a crowd of bodies, but Lambert back-heels it off the post and it falls for Rooney to bundle home from close range. There was a hint of offside against the United man, but the goal stands.
That is Rooney's 39th goal for England, putting him 10 behind the all-time record of Sir Bobby Charlton. He is now fifth in the rankings himself, one behind fourth-placed Michael Owen. Still no goals at the World Cup for Rooney, however, which is something he will be desperate to change this summer.
CHANCE! England get away with one again as one ball beats the whole defence, with Smalling playing Enner Valencia onside. The goalscorer is clean through on goal and Foster is once again forced to race off his line. Valencia tries to lift the ball over the keeper, but his shot skews off and ends up quite a way wide.
CHANCE! Half a chance for England as Shaw makes progress down the left before cutting a square ball across the edge of the box. Rooney is stretching to get it and, as such, can only turn it wide, but it was a decent sight of goal for the United man. He may have been better suited leaving it for Barkley, but you can't blame Rooney for going for goal himself.
More positive play from Barkley as he turns his man in midfield before letting fly from range when things open up for him. He drags his effort comfortably wide, but Hodgson won't mind that too much. The Everton man is really trying to make a good impression here and, while his decision-making has been suspect at times, he is doing himself no harm.
Another half chance for England as Lampard pings the ball in to Smalling, who has a bit of space in the area. His first touch is good to control it, but he then tries to beat his man without much room to work with and the keeper collects with ease.
England have looked more positive going forward tonight than they did against Peru, but the likes of Mario Balotelli, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani must be licking their lips watching some of their defending over the last two games. It is blindingly obvious where England's main weakness is, even allowing for the fact that this back five is not likely to have any representatives against Italy.
Better defending from Smalling as he covers a counter-attack well before pouncing to dispossess Caicedo at the opportune moment. It was Barkley who lost the ball in midfield again, although Milner's pass did him no favours either.
SAVE! At the other end the ball sits up nicely for Rooney to let fly from outside the area, but it is a fairly comfortable one for the keeper to collect. It was a well-struck shot, but not good enough to cause any major problems.
CHANCE! Big chance for England to take the lead right on the stroke of half time. Some decent build-up play down the right results in Milner clipping a nice ball around the around for Oxlade-Chamberlain, who then puts his laces through it in an attempt to beat the keeper with power. Banguera has the angle in his favour, however, and is able to make the save.
HALF TIME: Ecuador 1-1 England
Well, that was a very interesting half of football. England were in control for the majority of it and certainly started the match better, but it was Ecuador who took the lead and the South Americans have threatened to double their tally on a number of occasions as well. It is a good test for England, who will have positives and negatives to look back on after that opening 45 minutes.
The opening goal came after just eight minutes as Enner Valencia thumped a header past a helpless Foster after a good cross from Ayovi. It was poor defending from England, but the header itself was a very good one from the Ecuadorian. England eventually got back on level terms in rather lucky circumstances as Rooney shovelled the ball home from close range after Barkley had hit the post with a back-heel. There was a hint of offside against Rooney, but the ref didn't hesitate to award it.
Aside from the two goals, there have been a number of other chances to speak about. Oxlade-Chamberlain ended the half with a decent opening, albeit from a tight angle, while Barkley and Rooney have also had good sights of goal. Roy Hodgson's side started the match really well, but the goal gave Ecuador plenty of confidence.
The South American side will be happy with their performance too as they have looked more than capable of scoring again. Foster has been forced to come off his line on a number of occasions, and more often than not he has been second to the ball. Ecuador haven't been able to take advantage of that so far, but it could only be a matter of time if things don't change.
In truth, it has been very much a case of poor defending against positive attacking for both sides today. The majority of Ecuador's openings have come from England errors, while the South Americans have been sloppy themselves at times - particularly in the opening stages. Both teams look capable of scoring on every attack and conceding every time the ball goes up the other end.
As far as England are concerned, their troubles at the back could partially be put down to an unfamiliar back five. It would be a surprise if any of the five defenders on the field in that first half started against Italy, but even so the defence has been earmarked as a weak point for England and they have shown tonight that they aren't blessed with great depth in that position either. Their defence was cut open at times against Peru on Friday as well, so it will be a worry for Hodgson with the likes of Suarez, Balotelli and Cavani in store for them in the group stages.
England's most impressive players in that opening 45 minutes were Barkley and Oxlade-Chamberlain in terms of going forward, but ball retention in midfield was a concern for Hodgson. They can't afford to give the ball away so cheaply against Italy in Manaus, that's for sure.
KICKOFF: England get the second half underway, and there has been once change for Ecuador at the break. Caicedo makes way - which will please Smalling - and Joao Rojas replaces him up front.
Decent football to start the half again from England as Lambert slides the ball down the left channel for Rooney, who in turn stands a cross up in the middle. However, there are no red shirts attacking it and Ecuador are eventually able to get it away.
Ecuador look to break quickly after Oxlade-Chamberlain had misplaced a pass on the edge of the box, but first Phil Jones and then Chris Smalling deny crosses from their club teammate Valencia. Decent defending from both of them there.
ECUADOR SUB: Slight worry for Ecuador as Noboa goes down injured after an innocuous clash with Barkley. Rueda is taking no chances and replaces him with the experienced Edison Mendez.
GOAL! Ecuador 1-2 England (Rickie Lambert)
Lambert's summer just keeps getting better! Having sealed a move to boyhood club Liverpool he now keeps up his fine international scoring record with a thumping first-time finish. A lot of the credit has to go to Barkley, who slipped the ball between the legs of his marker before driving to the edge of the box and giving it to Lambert. The striker lines it up and strikes it sweetly past the keeper to give England the lead.
Well, if falling behind was a test of character for England then you'd have to say that they have passed it here. They could do with a third goal as they have looked susceptible at the back all evening, but Hodgson will be pleased that a young squad has come from behind against a team that are by no means easy pickings.
CLOSE! Lambert almost has another! This time it is Oxlade-Chamberlain who goes on a superb run from midfield, carrying the ball a long way before trying to slip it over to the right. His pass deflects into the path of Lambert, who tries to shape a shot into the bottom corner. The keeper looks like he gets the slightest of touches to turn it wide, but a goal kick is given.
Barkley and Oxlade-Chamberlain have certainly brought something new and exciting to this England side, carrying the ball with great positivity when they pick it up. However, they have given it away fairly often and that could stop them from starting against Italy. There will not be as much space against the Azzurri as there has been today, and the energetic runs from midfield would really sap the energy in the stifling heat of Manaus. They would be more suited to matches against Uruguay and Costa Rica, you feel.
SAVE! Another routine stop for Foster as Valencia carries the ball forward before letting fly from 30 yards, He doesn't catch the strike too well, however, sending it fizzing along the floor for Foster to fall on.
We're past the hour mark now, so I can't imagine it would be too much linger before Hodgson turns to his bench. Sterling will surely be among the first on as he is the only outfield player from the 23 selected for Brazil yet to start a World Cup warm-up match.
Oxlade-Chamberlain loses the ball in midfield but then works really hard to win it back of Gruezo. The Ecuador man goes down and, while rolling on the floor, trips Oxlade-Chamberlain from behind. It looked to have jarred the Arsenal man's knee, and he isn't looking to comfortable at the moment. Hodgson may choose to withdraw him here.
ENGLAND SUB: I was expecting one Liverpool youngster, but instead we get another. On comes Flanagan for his England debut, replacing Oxlade-Chamberlain. What a moment for the right-back, whose introduction will see Milner move further forward.
ENGLAND SUB: Here is Sterling, as expected. It is Rooney that comes off for the Liverpool man, and it is a straight swap on the left wing. Rooney has played better tonight than he did against Peru, but it was hard for him to influence the game too much from out wide.
OFF THE POST! Oh Ecuador are inches away from drawing level! England give the ball away cheaply in a dangerous area once again and Ecuador are immediately racing through on goal. Montero tears away down the left with a three-on-one situation, but his pull-back is poor. It eventually arrives to Enner Valencia, but his scuffed shot trickles onto the foot of the post. They really should have scored there.
ECUADOR SUB: Ecuador make a change as Montero, who has caused problems, goes off to be replaced by Michael Arroyo.
GOAL! Ecuador 2-2 England (Michael Arroyo)
Ecuador are level once again, and it is a screamer from Arroyo, who has only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes. For once, Valencia opts against going to the byline, instead rolling the ball back to Arroyo. The sub then smashes a sumptuous strike into the top corner past a helpless Foster to draw his side level. Superb goal from the Ecuadorian.
Another test of character for England, then. They have trailed in this match and they have now thrown away a lead, so it will be interesting to bee how they respond in this final 20 minutes or so. It has been a thoroughly entertaining friendly, it must be said.
ENGLAND SUB: The other England man not included in the final 23 comes on as John Stones replaces Flanagan for his second cap. It is good to see youngsters getting a chance for England, but I struggle to see what benefit Hodgson will get out of it here. Surely it would be better to see players eligible for Brazil in action?
Good spell of possession for Ecuador, who are being cheered on by the majority of the crowd here. England are used to having a lot of support wherever they go, but there appears to be more yellow around the stadium tonight than white and red. The crowd certainly get more excited when Ecuador look like scoring.
RED CARDS! Antonio Valencia and Raheem Sterling
Oh my word, the referee has just shown a pair of red cards to Sterling and Valencia! The Liverpool man went into a challenge on Valencia on the right wing and, although it is a heavy tackle, he gets the ball. Certainly, Valencia;'s reaction is not warranted as he bounces to his feet and grabs Sterling by the throat. The reaction is worthy of a red for Valencia, but Sterling can feel very hard done by there. Terrible decision from the ref.
It's not often you see a pair of red cards in a friendly match! Truth be told, it was Valencia's reaction that resulted in the cards. Had he simply got on with the game, it may not have even been a free kick, but the needless petulance from the United man has earned them both their marching orders. It should be noted that that will have no impact on their World Cup availability.
ECUADOR SUB: Ecuador make a change as Enner Valencia, scorer of the first goal, makes way to be replaced by Renato Ibarra.
ENGLAND SUBS: Double change for England as Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck replace Rickie Lambert and Ross Barkley, who can both be pleased with their performances today.
UPDATE: If a 2-2 draw against Ecuador is causing an onset of pessimism in England fans, I have some good news for you. Italy - the team England face in the first match of their group - have just been held to a 1-1 draw by Luxembourg. Not exactly ideal preparations for the Azzurri.
ENGLAND SUB: Wilshere has gone down with a couple of knocks and aches throughout this match and, although it doesn't look like anything serious, the latest bout of cramp sees him replaced by Adam Lallana.
Arroyo has scored one worldie already tonight, but that looks like it is as good as it gets for him. He tries one from even further out this time, but his effort is poor and goes a long way wide.
ECUADOR SUB: One more late change for Ecuador as Saritama replaces Gruezo for the closing stages.
ECUADOR SUB: Gabriel Achilier will get even less time on the field as he comes on for Paredes.
FULL TIME: Ecuador 2-2 England
The referee brings an end to the match and it finishes all square as Ecuador and England play out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Miami. Both managers will have learned some valuable lessons about their team this evening and, despite neither side being able to come away with a victory, it will go down as a worthwhile outing for both camps. There are positive and negatives to take from each performance, and the managers will look to tweak things a little before the World Cup gets underway in eight days' time.
It was Ecuador who took the lead in the eighth minute courtesy of a thumping header from Enner Valencia, but Wayne Rooney levelled things up just before the half-hour mark with a scrappy goal. Lambert then put England ahead with a crisp finish, but the goal-of-the-match award was taken by Michael Arroyo, who smashed a brilliant long-range strike into the top corner to rescue a draw for his side.
There was unusual controversy for an international friendly too as both Sterling and Antonio Valencia were shown red cards following a clash on the touchline. The England youngster flew into a challenge on Valencia, but got enough of the ball to warrant the tackle. The United man obviously thought otherwise, grabbing Sterling by the throat in retaliation. Valencia can have no complaints with his red card, but Sterling's was very harsh indeed.
Right, that is all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a thoroughly entertaining encounter in Miami as Ecuador and England played out a 2-2 draw with eight days to go until the World Cup. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction and analysis, which will be on site shortly. There is more live football coming up for you tonight, with Uruguay taking on Slovenia at 12.30am and Chile facing Northern Ireland at 1am, so be sure to catch those games too! Until then, though, it is goodbye from me!
