AMBATO, Ecuador (Interstat) — Mushuc Runa and Manta played to a chaotic 1-1 draw on Saturday in a Liga Pro match that was more defined by its staggering 22 disciplinary cards and a late red card than by its on-field action at Estadio Bellavista Universidad Indoamérica.

The match, which saw both teams earn a point to open their league campaigns, was a statistical anomaly, failing to live up to its pregame projections. Interstat’s ELO system had given Mushuc Runa a 66.70 percent probability of victory, while its game simulator had predicted the exact 1-1 final score.

The game’s entire offensive output was bizarrely condensed into a single minute of play. In the 26th minute, Manta midfielder Joaquín Vergés broke the deadlock, giving the visiting side an early lead. However, the advantage was immediately erased as Mushuc Runa answered directly from the ensuing kickoff, with the equalizing goal also credited to Joaquín Vergés, creating a highly unusual statistical event where the same player was recorded as scoring for both teams in rapid succession.

From that point forward, the match devolved into a fractious affair dominated by the referee’s whistle. The first half set a contentious tone, with six yellow cards issued before the break. The second half saw the discipline situation escalate dramatically.

The game reached its peak of ill-discipline in the 84th minute. Manta substitute Andrés Madruga, who had just been shown a yellow card, received a second booking moments later, resulting in a red card and forcing his side to play the final minutes, including stoppage time, with 10 men.

In total, the referee issued 20 yellow cards and two red cards. Every player listed as receiving a yellow card was shown two, indicating a data duplication error in the provided statistics, but even accounting for that, the match was exceptionally ill-tempered. Ten different players were booked, with Manta’s Madruga being the only one sent off.

With the draw, both teams opened their 2025 Liga Pro season with identical records of zero wins, zero losses and one draw. Looking at all competitions, Mushuc Runa’s record stands at zero wins, zero losses and one draw. Manta, having played more matches across different tournaments, now has a combined record of one win, two losses and one draw.

Manta’s recent form has been mixed. Prior to this draw, they fell 2-0 to El Nacional on the road on Sept. 27. Before that, they recorded a 3-1 away victory over Olmedo on Sept. 13, the same date they suffered a 4-2 home defeat to América de Quito, suggesting a schedule anomaly.

The match will be remembered not for tactical brilliance or offensive fireworks, but for its unprecedented level of cautions and the bizarre scoring sequence that ultimately decided the outcome. Both Mushuc Runa and Manta will look for more composed and productive performances as they continue their Liga Pro campaigns.