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Saudi Arabia suffered a surprise loss in their first official match under Greek coach Giorgos Donis after going down 1-2 to Ecuador in a friendly at the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, USA early on Sunday as part of a warm-up program ahead of the Green226 final.
The Saudi Arabian national team is set to continue its preparation program with two more friendlies during the current camp as they face Puerto Rican national team in Austin, before finishing the friendlies with a strong showdown against Senegal in San Antonio.
Ecuador came into the game strongly, taking the lead in the first half through defender Jackson Poroso in the 35th minute, before Anthony Valencia added a second goal early in the second half, specifically in the 51st minute.
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Saudi Arabia tried to get back into the game in the final minutes, and substitute Sultan Mandash was able to score to reduce the deficit in the 87th minute, but there was not enough time to avoid a first defeat in the Donis era.
The negative results continued for the Falcons, who failed to win for the third game in a row, losing 1-2 to Serbia before suffering a heavy four-goal loss to Egypt.
The coaching staff hopes to take advantage of these fixtures to achieve the necessary preparation before the start of the 2026 World Cup, where Saudi Arabia will compete in Group H with Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde in a tournament hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
