Independiente del Valle took a commanding step toward the Copa Sudamericana round of 16 by overwhelming Brazil’s Vasco da Gama 4–0 in the first leg of their playoff tie in Quito on Tuesday night. Vasco’s game plan collapsed 12 minutes into the match when left-back Lucas Piton was shown a straight red card for a foul on the edge of the area. Playing with an extra man, the Ecuadorian side dominated possession and broke the deadlock through Carabajal before halftime. Midfielder Mercado struck twice after the interval and a fourth goal completed the rout, leaving the visitors requiring a five-goal swing in next week’s return fixture in Rio de Janeiro to stay in the tournament. Vasco goalkeeper Léo Jardim prevented an even heavier defeat by saving a late penalty. The result extends Del Valle’s unbeaten run to 10 matches in all competitions, while piling pressure on Vasco manager Fernando Diniz as the Brazilian club faces an uphill battle to avoid a second successive early exit from South America’s secondary club competition.