World Cup 2022 team guides part 1: Ecuador
This article is part of the Guardian’s World Cup 2022 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 20 November.
The plan
This Ecuador team was built from scratch when the unheralded Argentinian Gustavo Alfaro came in to bring some stability after the short and unsuccessful tenures of Hernán Darío Gómez, Jorge Célico and Jordi Cruyff (who left without taking charge of a single game). The road to Qatar looked long and winding when Alfaro took over in 2020 but he discarded the old guard of Antonio Valencia, Christian Noboa and Felipe Caicedo to make room for youngsters such as Piero Hincapié, Moisés Caicedo and Gonzalo Plata among others. “It was all about getting our teeth into the challenge and making our mark on the project without altering the essence of Ecuadorian football, while at the same time introducing new elements to try to reverse the dynamic that resulted in Ecuador failing to qualify for the 2018 edition in Russia,” he told Fifa.com.
Alfaro is not afraid to change tactics depending on the opponent but 4-4-2 is the most common formation. There have been increased flirtations with 4-3-3 but the 3-5-2 system utilised at times during qualifying has not been seen since.
Ecuador were the youngest team to qualify from South America with an average age of just over 25. Sadly some key players have sustained serious injuries: São Paulo’s Robert Arboleda tore ankle ligaments in June, while Ayrton Preciado of Santos and Joao Rojas of Monterrey are also set to miss out.
Ecuador qualified for Qatar by finishing fourth in the South American section, two points ahead of Peru, who had to go to an intercontinental playoff, which they lost to Australia. There was controversy with Chile and Peru trying to get Ecuador thrown out of the World Cup because they had fielded and ineligible player, Byron David Castillo. Fifa ruled in Ecuador’s favour but Cas (Court of Arbitration for Sport) is set to hear the case on 4 November.
The coach
Gustavo Alfaro had a short playing career for his hometown club Atlético de Rafaela, in Santa Fe, Argentina, but retired in 1992 to focus on coaching. Thirty years later he will be at the World Cup having earned the affection of the Ecuadorian people for the way he speaks and represents the national team, and the confidence he transmits to his players. Alfaro had coached several clubs in Argentina, including Boca Juniors, as well as Al Ahli in Saudi Arabia when he took over Ecuador 30 days before their first World Cup qualifier, in the middle of the pandemic. “It wasn’t easy,” he admitted. After Ecuador had qualified for Qatar he said in a rousing speech: “The challenge was a blank wall where they had to hang their picture of making history. They had to believe – and they did. They believed from the first day, they stood together. They were patient, they were persevering but they were also hunters of an impossible utopia. No one believed in Ecuador but today Ecuador stand tall.”
Star player
Without a doubt the star of this team is Moisés Caicedo – or as he likes to be called, “Niño Moi”. The Brighton dynamo has become an indispensable part of the team, providing balance and defensive structure. As a box-tobox midfielder, he contributes to the attack but also helps out his backline. The Brighton coach, Roberto De Zerbi, calls him “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League,” adding: “Caicedo is a top player with and without the ball. There are many players who are very good with the ball but without it in defensive spaces are not so good. With Caicedo I can’t see anything not at the top level.” Caicedo is not your typical star player. He will not score a bicycle kick from the halfway line or dazzle opponents with silky skills, but his effective passing, great positioning and game-reading intelligence could be pivotal in Ecuador’s attempts to progress.
Unsung hero
Ángel Mena does not always shine brightest in a game – and is sometimes even on the bench – but he is enormously valued for what he does on and off the pitch by everyone in the squad. One of the most experienced players of La Tricolor, Mena’s intelligence enables the team to play the high-speed football the coach prefers. He is a leftfooted winger with great vision and a superb shot. Now 34, he has been with the Mexican side Club León since 2019.
Probable lineup Qatar stance
No player, member of the coaching staff or leadership of the Ecuadorian football federation (FEF) has referred to the human rights issues in Qatar – and nor will they get involved while the team are there. There is no problem accepting the cultural conditions that exist in Qatar and the team will not be part of any campaigns, such as wearing a rainbow-coloured captain’s armband. There have not been any official statements from the FEF about the position of La Tricolor but it seems clear the players will not get involved in the debate.
National anthem
Salve, Oh Patria stems from the mind and talent of the Ambateño poet Juan León Mera (1832-1894) and the French-born musician Antonio Neumane Marno (1818-1871). There were some tweaks and modifications before it was made the official anthem on 23 November 1948 by the Galo Plaza administration. It makes reference to the initial uprising against Spain on 10 August 1809 and the subsequent war of independence.
All-time cult hero
It is fair to say that Ecuador has not had an abundance of cult heroes but the one player who perhaps deserves that label is Iván Kaviedes. The 6ft striker who was one of the first Ecuadorian players to move to Europe and played a huge part in his country reaching the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea by scoring an equaliser against Uruguay in qualifying. At club level one of his highlights was scoring a brilliant bicycle kick for Real Valladolid against Barcelona. His disciplinary record was not the best and since retiring he has admitted that he was sometimes led astray by the pursuit of women – and that made him lose focus on his career.