Ecuador bank on a young, physical group and collective steel | OneFootball

Ecuador arrive with a reputation for defensive resilience, yet opened with a 1-0 defeat to Côte d'Ivoire. Beccacece's side face Curaçao at two am French time after striking the woodwork three times.

"It is not just the defence, the whole team works for it," said Beccacece. Speaking to As last autumn, he added: "We see Enner Valencia and Gonzalo Plata as the first defenders. There is commitment from everyone."

"Against Colombia on 20 November 2024 we ran as much as our opponents despite being a man down for an hour," he said. "Game by game we have increased our kilometres, and we run wisely." He also said: "We have no obligation of results, that is for Argentina, Brazil, Spain or Germany."

Ecuador conceded only five goals in 18 South American qualifiers and lost just two, finishing second as a gifted generation matured. The last Champions League final featured two South American defenders, and while Brazil might come to mind, the Ecuadorians Willian Pacho (Paris-SG) and Piero Hincapié (Arsenal) fit the description. Around them are Joel Ordonez (Club Bruges), Pervis Estupinan (AC Milan), Nilson Angulo (Sunderland) and Moises Caicedo (Chelsea).

This is the country's fifth World Cup, and in 2006 they cleared the group before England progressed through David Beckham's sole goal. Ecuador could hope to surpass that, although observers note they have failed to score in nine of their 21 matches under Beccacece. Against modest Curaçao, simply defending will not suffice.

Source: L'Équipe