‘We didn’t lose’
▶ Despite agonizing exit, Ecuador’s ‘kids’ came of age at World Cup
Ecuador’s young team in Qatar will forever rue the few centimeters that came between them and World Cup glory.
Had 22-year-old Gonzalo Plata’s second-half shot against the Netherlands gone in, giving them a victory they deserved, the South Americans would have reached the knockout stage after two games, equaling their previous best finish in 2006.
Instead, one of the tournament’s youngest teams heads home at the first hurdle in gut-wrenching fashion.
Ecuador came to Qatar as outsiders, their only big name Enner Valencia viewed by many as a has-been in a team otherwise full of little-known youngsters who could easily have frozen.
But the 33-year-old rolled back time and wrote himself into the tournament’s history with another three goals to match his tally in Brazil eight years ago and show why he is still revered as “Superman” back home.
He and his energetic teammates may have run out of steam when it counted, in Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Senegal when just a draw would have taken them through, leaving them weeping and inconsolable on the field. But their largely impressive performances earned them plenty of new respect.
Valencia could not control his tears as he apologized to his country for the side’s failure to reach the knockout stages.
“We offer an apology to all of Ecuador,” Valencia said, crying in the aftermath of Tuesday’s defeat.
“We didn’t expect this, we were very happy with what we were doing ... Unfortunately we could not meet Ecuador’s expectations.”
Party poopers
Though heavyweights Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are normally South America’s main headline-grabbers, Ecuador were in the limelight from the off as they opened the tournament against hosts Qatar, ruining their party with an easy 2-0 win.
They then drew with the Netherlands before the agonizing 2-1 loss to African champions Senegal.
Anyone who has been watching Ecuador in the last couple of years will not have been surprised at their poise. Coach Gustavo Alfaro scouted for new talent to renew virtually the whole side two years ago, then watched as they hauled themselves out of the grueling South American qualifiers.
Acknowledging he had a team of “kids,” Alfaro told his 44th-ranked team they were going to face superior opposition in Qatar, so should just enjoy and express themselves.
They did, indeed, look unintimidated as they blew away Qatar in front of an enormous global TV audience then forced Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands’ backs to the wall.
Against Senegal, knowing that a point would be enough, they were unambitious in the first half, hit back after going 1-0 down in the second, but then showed their lack of experience in conceding a quick second through sloppy defending.
“Our pain is huge, but we put in good performances and will take that into the future,” a stone-faced Alfaro said in the aftermath of the game.
“These players will have their revenge.”
The Argentine coach, 60, said he was considering his own future in charge of the team.
“We were unfortunately knocked out of a beautiful dream that these guys had been weaving for two years,” said the former Boca Juniors manager, who took over Ecuador in 2020.
“I need time to know what I will do in my professional life, which decisions I will make.
“We had already spoken to the federation and agreed to meet after the World Cup. I need to stop for a moment and see what I want to do, going forward, if I still want to be a coach or not.”
‘Big heart’
Though the youngsters are Ecuador’s future, their 2022 World Cup will be remembered for Valencia’s goals and battling spirit. The man who as a kid himself had once sold cows’ milk to buy boots played most of the tournament with a painful knee sprain.
Behind him, some newer names enhanced growing reputations.
Midfielder Moises Caicedo, who turned 21 just before the tournament, was brilliant box-to-box – shielding his defense, comfortable in tight spaces, threading to the front men.
His poacher’s goal against Senegal was fitting reward.
“It looks like he’s been to four World Cups and is 35-years-old!” said admiring goalkeeper Hernan Galindez.
Plata, 22, also looked unfazed by the enormity of the stage.
Caicedo’s Premier League teammate and flying wingback Pervis Estupinan, 24, and defender Piero Hincapie, 20, also had good tournaments, though Hincapie will be haunted by a clumsy tackle for the penalty that put Senegal 1-0 up.
“The team did our flag proud,” said fan Magdalena Fuentes, 60, watching on a big screen in a mall in the Ecuadorean capital Quito. “We didn’t lose – because now the whole world knows us.”
Even though the future looks bright for Ecuador, they will have to work incredibly hard to get another chance like the one they had in Qatar.
The South American qualifiers are arguably the world’s toughest and they will start with a three-point deduction due to a player eligibility controversy.
Ecuadorean media were united in their praise of coach Alfaro who transformed the team with an injection of fresh talent to complement the experience of Valencia.
“Youth: the legacy of Gustavo Alfaro for 2026,” was the headline of leading Ecuadorean newspaper El Comercio, looking forward to the next World Cup.