Ecuador sink Sweden 2-1 with first-half goals

                                           

QUITO, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Ecuador scored twice in an eight-minute spell during the first half to beat Sweden 2-1 in an international friendly played in the Andean city of Cuenca on Thursday. Both teams fielded sub-strength sides with Sweden bringing a squad of Nordic-based players for their three-match South American tour, which began with a 2-0 defeat in Venezuela last Sunday. Midfielder Eder Vaca opened the scoring in the 16th minute when he beat John Alvbage with a left-foot shot for his first international goal. Carlos Tenorio, one of only two members of last year's World Cup squad in the Ecuador starting line-up, took advantage of slack defending to add the second eight minutes later. Sweden pulled one back when Rade Prica scored with a long-range shot in the last minute. Ecuador held on for the first win in three outings since reaching the second round of the 2006 World Cup. The two sides meet again in Quito on Sunday. (Writing by Brian Homewood in Rio de Janeiro)