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| June 15, 2006 | Thursday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 18, 1427 |
High-flying Ecuador aiming for new heights
HAMBURG, June 14: Ecuador aim to continue rewriting the script in Group A when they face Costa Rica in their second World Cup game on Thursday and kill off once and for all claims they can only play at high altitude.
Critics, including Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, have said Ecuador are only in the finals because their opponents tire at the lung-bursting 2,800 metre altitude of their capital Quito.
Ecuador were unbeaten at home and won only once away in qualifying, and then only against Bolivia in La Paz, the highest capital in the world. Friendlies, including a 2-1 loss to Macedonia, appeared to support this view.
But after beating Poland in their opening game and causing the first shock of the tournament, Ecuador are climbing to new heights once again.
Victory for the South Americans against Costa Rica would put them into the second round for the first time unless Poland beat Germany on Wednesday night.
Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez expects the Central Americans to prove tougher opponents than Poland.
“It's going to be a completely different game... It is a more dangerous game for us than against Poland,” he said.
After losing 4-2 to hosts Germany in the tournament's opening game, Costa Rica must go for all three points to stand any chance of progressing.
“This is a vital game for us. We know what we do against Ecuador will make or break the World Cup for us,” Costa Rica midfielder Walter Centeno said.
Probable teams:
ECUADOR (4-4-2): 12-Cristian Mora; 4-Ulises de la Cruz, 3-Ivan Hurtado, 17-Giovanny Espinoza, 18-Neicer Reasco; 8-Edison Mendez, 20-Edwin Tenorio, 14-Segundo Castillo, 16-Luis Antonio Valencia; 11-Agustin Delgado, 21-Carlos Tenorio.
Coach: Luis Fernando Suarez.
COSTA RICA (3-5-2): 18-Jose Francisco Porras; 3-Luis Marin, 4-Michael Umana, 2-Jervis Drummond; 12-Leonardo Gonzales, 8-Mauricio Solis, 10-Walter Centeno, 20-Douglas Sequeira, 6-Danny Fonseca; 11-Ronald Gomez, 9-Paulo Wanchope.
Coach: Alexandre Guimaraes.
Referee: Coffi Codjia (Benin).—Reuters
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