Ecuador’s triumphant return to the World Cup was met with chaos almost as soon as it was made official. Chile, which finished qualifying seven points behind the final guaranteed spot in Qatar, filed multiple legal challenges over La Tri’s spot in the tournament, claiming player Byron Castillo was not eligible to play for the national team. The legal claims (and their subsequent appeals) were shut down and denied. Ecuador will be returning to the World Cup after missing out in 2018, and rightfully so (Castillo, however, was omitted from its 26-man roster for Qatar).
La Tri’s results in qualifying were that of a team capable of grinding out a result against any of the world’s top sides. They picked up wins against Uruguay, Colombia and Chile, as well as draws against Argentina and Brazil, while finishing with 27 goals—only Brazil scored more. But the results since have been a little more troubling. Gustavo Alfaro’s side has scored just one open-play goal in five friendlies over the last six months. A dull attack won’t trouble groupmates Senegal or the Netherlands, who have more than enough attacking talent to pressure what’s been a stout Ecuadorian defense. If Ecuador wants to play spoiler to the hosts and potentially unseat one of Group A’s top two teams, that trend will have to change. The growing talent on this team means it’s more than capable of doing so.
