Since the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela, when Ecuador suffered a shameful campaign and failed to pick up a single point, football in Ecuador has undergone a major change. The reason for this change is LDU. The League Sports Univeritária club put the capital Quito, and similarly Ecuadorian football as a whole, in the spotlight like no team from the country ever has before. They picked up four continental titles in three years: in 2008 the Copa Libertadores, the Copa Sudamericana in 2009 and the Recopa Sudamericana in both 2009 and 2010. This has shown that Ecuador could be one of the protagonists of football on the continent, and given hope for the 2011 Copa America.
Paradoxically, the national team was already in good shape. Until the 1990s Ecuador was, along with Venezuela, one of the only South American countries to have never qualified for the World Cup. But Ecuador left Venezuela alone in that group, and reached both the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea and the 2006 edition in Germany, reaching the last 16 in the latter. However, despite the club success of LDU, Ecuador’s form dipped, and they failed to qualify for South Africa in 2010.
The achievements of 2002 and 2006 served to change the role of Ecuador in qualifying, where they had previously been the whipping boys. The 2011 Copa America, backed by the achievements of the LDU, can be a chance to improve the abysmal campaign that Ecuador has had previously. No titles, no finals reached and no better performances than two fourth place finishes, which both came when the tournament was played in their own country, with the advantage of the altitude of Quito. Indeed, it was at altitude when Ecuador last progressed beyond the group stage, in Bolivia 14 years ago. In the last twelve years, they have only managed one victory, against a weak Venezuela side in 2004.
In order to improve results, Reynaldo Rueda, who led Honduras to the World Cup in South Africa in 2010, was hired as coach, and the Colombian has set up a technical group that blends experienced players with younger ones. It also has its basis in the major clubs in the country, and Rueda wants to show that Ecuador is no longer the ugly duckling of South America.
LDU provide five members of the squad, as does another side that has been outstanding in recent years, Deportivo Quito. Besides a few players based in Mexico, a few of the squad’s standout members play in Europe. The most famous is Antonio Valencia, the Manchester United midfielder, who many consider as the team’s best player.
The Ecuadorian mission is not easy. Group B is finely balanced, with the favourites Brazil most likely to progress. Paraguay are another favourite in the group, making the life of Rueda even more difficult. There is a single opponent who are theoretically ‘easier’ to beat, but Ecuador has to prove that is already at a level above the Venezuelan National Team.
The Squad
Goalkeepers: Marcelo Elizaga (Deportivo Quito, ECU), Maximo Banguera (Barcelona, ECU), Alexander Dominguez (LDU Quito, ECU).
Defenders: Geovanny Caicedo (LDU Quito, ECU), Frickson Erazo (El Nacional, ECU), Luis Checa (Deportivo Quito, ECU), Walter Ayovi (Monterrey, MEX), Neicer Reasco (LDU Quito, ECU), Norberto Araujo (LDU Quito, ECU), Diego Calderon (LDU Quito, ECU), Gabriel Achilier (Emelec, ECU).
Midfielders: Oswaldo Minda (Deportivo Quito, ECU), Christian Noboa (Rubin Kazan, RUS), Michael Arroyo (San Luis, MEX), Edison Mendez (Emelec, ECU), Segundo Castillo (Pachuca, MEX), David Quiroz (Emelec, ECU), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United, ENG), Geovanny Nazareno (Barcelona, ECU).
Forwards: Felipe Caicedo (Levante, ESP), Christian Benitez (America, MEX), Edson Montano (Gent, BEL), Narciso Mina (Independiente Jose Teran, ECU).
Group Stage:
Paraguay, July 3 in Santa Fe
Venezuela, July 9 in Salta
Brazil, July 13 in Cordoba
Statistics:
FIFA Ranking: 64
Appearances in the Copa America: 25
Best performance: Fourth in 1959 and 1993
Last Copa America: Finished bottom of Group B
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After the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela, when Ecuador made a shameful campaign with no points earned, football in Ecuador has undergone a major change. The name of this change is called LDU. The League Sports Univeritária club put the capital Quito Ecuador highlighted as never before in soccer scene in South America were four continental titles in three years: in 2008 the Libertadores, the South American Recopa in 2009, the South American in 2009 and again the Cup Winners’ Cup in 2010. Shows that Ecuador could be one of the protagonists of football on the continent. And hope for the Copa America in 2001.
