The Ecuadorian national football team, known as La Tri, is gearing up for the upcoming World Cup with a series of friendly matches. The squad list was unveiled by coach Sebastián Beccacece, who has retained a core of players from previous call-ups while introducing fresh talent such as Jordy Caicedo, who has been impressive at Huracán in Argentina, and Anthony Valencia, making his debut call-up from Belgium.
La Tri is set to face Morocco on March 27 at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain, followed by a match against the Netherlands on March 31 in Eindhoven. Both opponents are ranked among the top 10 in the FIFA rankings, making these fixtures a crucial test for the Ecuadorian team as they prepare for the World Cup.
The list of players called up for these matches includes several athletes from Ecuadorian clubs, such as David Cabezas, Gonzalo Valle, and Janner Corozo from Liga de Quito, as well as Jordy Alcívar and Patrik Mercado from Independiente del Valle. In goal, the squad features David Cabezas, Hernán Galíndez, Moisés Ramírez, and Gonzalo Valle.
Defensively, the lineup includes Angelo Preciado, José Hurtado, Joel Ordóñez, Félix Torres, Leonardo Realpe, Piero Hincapié, Willian Pacho, Jackson Porozo, and Pervis Estupiñán. The midfield will see the likes of Alan Franco, Denil Castillo, Jordy Alcívar, Kendry Páez, Moisés Caicedo, Patrik Mercado, Pedro Vite, and Yaimar Medina taking the field.
In terms of attacking options, the squad boasts talents such as Alan Minda, Enner Valencia, Gonzalo Plata, Jeremy Arévalo, John Mercado, John Yeboah, Jordy Caicedo, Leonardo Campana, Nilson Angulo, Bryan Ramírez, Janner Corozo, and Kevin Rodríguez. Since taking over as head coach, Beccacece has already led Ecuador against formidable opponents like Argentina and Brazil in South American qualifiers, which have served to gauge the team's performance against high-caliber rivals.
The coach has indicated that he has already finalized 20 names for the World Cup roster, and these upcoming matches against Morocco and the Netherlands will play a pivotal role in determining the final spots on the squad, which is due to be submitted in May.
As reported by prensa-latina.cu.
