AMBATO (Interstat) — Tecnico U. scored twice before halftime and added another goal after Mushuc Runa went down to 10 men, beating the visiting side 3-0 on Monday at Estadio Bellavista de Ambato in Ambato, Ecuador. Tecnico U. improved its competition record while Mushuc Runa remained without a win.

Bagner Delgado opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and Luis Estupinan doubled the lead in the 42nd as Tecnico U. took a 2-0 lead before the break. Delgado played 65 minutes and finished with a goal and an assist. Estupinan played 77 minutes and also recorded a goal and an assist. Diego Armas, who played 89 minutes, scored Tecnico U.’s third goal. Tecnico U. kept Mushuc Runa without a goal in the first half, while Pasquetta F. of Tecnico U. was booked in the 31st minute.

Mushuc Runa went down to 10 men when Mina F. was sent off in the 62nd minute. The visitors had already been trailing by two goals and could not find a response after the red card. Mushuc Runa’s Corozo B. received a yellow card in the 50th minute, and Angulo C. was cautioned in the 80th. Tecnico U. finished with a 3-0 advantage and kept Mushuc Runa off the scoreboard. The red card left Mushuc Runa with a man disadvantage for the final half-hour, and Tecnico U. protected its clean sheet.

Tecnico U. made its lead stand after the break, with Delgado withdrawn in the 65th minute and Estupinan replaced in the 77th. Armas came off in the 89th minute after his goal. Mushuc Runa made several changes after halftime, including Zambrano A. in the 46th minute, Peralta K. and Bazan N. in the 67th, and Corozo B. and Davila E. in the 73rd. Tecnico U. also brought on Arce Y. in the 77th and Johan Bocanegra in the 88th. Tecnico U. maintained its three-goal cushion through the closing minutes.

Tecnico U. had lost its previous two matches, 2-1 at Dep. Cuenca and 1-0 at Manta, before producing the win. Mushuc Runa had drawn 1-1 with Orense and lost 3-2 at Delfin in its previous two matches. Mushuc Runa has no wins, two losses and one draw in the competition, and it has the same record across all competitions. Tecnico U. has one win and two losses in the competition, and it has the same record across all competitions.

Mushuc Runa remained scoreless despite its second-half changes, and Tecnico U. closed out the match without conceding. The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Mina F.’s red card and could not cut into the deficit. Tecnico U.’s Delgado and Estupinan each contributed a goal and an assist, while Armas added the final goal. The result gave Tecnico U. its first win in the competition and left Mushuc Runa still seeking its first victory.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 1-1 final score. Its ELO system had projected Tecnico U. with a 66.7 percent probability to win, and Tecnico U. had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 0.25. The total score of 3 went under the over-under line of 2.5.