Ecuador meet host nation Qatar in Group A at the 2022 World Cup, but has La Tri been in the Fifa tournament before? HITC Football takes a look at their past tournament records…
Led by Argentine coach Gustavo Alfaro, Ecuador snuck through the CONMEBOL qualifying campaign to reach the 2022 edition. La Tri avoided entering the inter-confederation play-offs with a game to spare, after taking 26 points following seven wins across their 18 matches.
Peru only ended the qualifying campaign just two points behind Ecuador after playing two fewer draws. Yet the small margins ultimately proved costly, as La Blanquirroja went on to lose to Australia on penalties in the play-offs. They played a goalless draw after extra-time.
Ecuador’s reward for qualifying for the 2022 World Cup was a place in Group A with Qatar, Senegal and the Netherlands. La Tri will also play in the opening match against the Maroon on November 20 at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, before games on the 25th and the 29th.
The 2022 Qatar World Cup is Ecuador’s return to the tournament after failing to qualify for the 2018 edition in Russia. La Tri will also hope the 2022 edition marks their return to the knockout stages, having only progressed beyond the group stage on one occasion to date.
Ecuador has been in the World Cup on three previous occasions, having qualified for the 2002, 2006 and 2014 editions. So, with that in mind, HITC Football takes a look back at the South American nation’s previous tournament records after first trying to qualify in 1962.
Has Ecuador been in the Fifa World Cup before travelling to Qatar 2022?
Ecuador has only been in the World Cup three times before Qatar, yet tried to enter the Fifa tournament 15 times. La Tri also initially sought to enter the 1950 edition in Brazil, but the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) later withdrew its entry during the qualifying stages.
The FEF was formed in 1925 as the Federacion Deportiva Nacional del Ecuador and it later became a Fifa member in 1926. Yet Ecuador opted against entering the qualifying process for the 1930, ‘34 and ‘38 World Cups. They also sat out the tournaments for 1954 and ‘58.
Ecuador eventually stuck to a qualifying bid for the 1962 World Cup in Chile. However, two defeats to Argentina saw their campaign collapse at the very first hurdle, as just six nations fought for three places. Paraguay were drawn to compete in the intercontinental play-offs.
It would ultimately take Ecuador another 40 years of trials and tribulations to qualify for a World Cup. La Tri attempted to enter every Fifa tournament between Chile 1962 and their eventual maiden appearance at the 2002 edition, joint-hosted by Japan and South Korea.
Like London buses, a second qualification for the World Cup came along for Ecuador in as many attempts. They returned to the global stage at Germany 2006, and La Tri registered their best finish yet after making the knockout stages unlike in 2002 or later at Brazil 2014.
How has La Tri fared in their past appearances at the Fifa tournament?
Fifa drew Ecuador to face Italy, plus Mexico and Croatia in Group G at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. A maiden match at the tournament against the then three-time champions Italy immediately put La Tri’s campaign on the back foot as they lost the tie 2-0.
Agustin Delgado gave Ecuador hope of taking a better result in their second match after he scored just five minutes into their meeting with Mexico. But Jared Borgetti spoiled La Tri’s party before Gerardo Torrado turned the ball home early on in the second-half to win 2-1.
Edison Mendez would see that Ecuador left Asia with one win to show for their first World Cup appearance, though. The forward hit the only goal of the game to beat Croatia 1-0 at the International Stadium Yokohama. Although La Tri still finished bottom of their group.
Ecuador would not get off to such a slow start on their immediate return to the World Cup in 2006. La Tri opened Group A with a 2-0 win over Poland before beating Costa Rica 3-0 to secure a last 16 spot with a game to spare. Luckily, as that match was with hosts Germany.
Die Mannschaft ensured they took top spot in Group A with a 3-0 win over Ecuador at the Olympiastadion. Miroslav Klose broke the deadlock in Berlin before the Best Young Player award winner that summer, Lukas Podolski, added a third after half-time to finish the job.
Ending the first round as runners-up dealt Ecuador a tough hand in the Round of 16 that La Tri could not beat. David Beckham dropped a free-kick in at the near post from 30-yards to send England through to the quarter-finals with the only goal of the encounter in Stuttgart.
Ecuador would not return to the World Cup as Fifa took the tournament to South Africa in 2010. But La Tri came back for their last appearance in 2014 as the competition headed to Brazil. Yet their run would only last the group stage, as France and Switzerland advanced.
Switzerland put Ecuador on the back foot in the first match of Group E by taking a 2-1 win in Brasilia. La Tri would respond in Curitiba to beat Honduras 2-1. But a 0-0 draw in Rio de Janeiro with table-toppers France meant Ecuador finished two points behind Switzerland.
Another disappointing qualifying campaign would follow for La Tri as they failed to gain a place at Russia 2018. Now, Ecuador will hope the 2022 World Cup is more akin to the ‘06 edition in Germany, having been drawn against the host nation Qatar in the group stage.
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