Currently competing at their fifth , first graced football’s ultimate stage at Korea/Japan 2002. “Not all players get those sorts of experiences,” says former defensive linchpin Ivan Hurtado, looking back almost a quarter of a century in an interview with FIFA. “The World Cup brings the planet to a standstill and is the ultimate goal for any footballer. We all dream of playing at the tournament, and we made that dream come true.”
La Tricolor’s record appearance-maker turned out 168 times for his country and sits second on the list of most-capped South American men’s players – trailing only a certain Lionel Messi – and inside the top 20 worldwide.
“It was the icing on the cake after so many years of hard work,” adds the 51-year-old. “The lads fought tooth and nail and gave their all to bring joy to a country that was desperate for its moment in the international spotlight and eager to rub shoulders with the very best. We reaped the rewards of the hard yards put in by the generations before us. It was a unique experience. The touch paper was lit; it was the turning point in our history. That was our first World Cup, and some two and a half decades later here we are at our fifth almost consecutive edition – having only missed out in 2010 and 2018.”
Ecuador’s bow on the game’s grandest stage ended in a 2-1 defeat by Italy on 3 June 2002, with Christian Vieri scoring twice for the Azzurri. They lost 2-1 against Mexico before securing a maiden World Cup victory in their final group outing as Edison Mendez turned home the only goal against Croatia. “We beat Croatia, who’d impressed at France 1998,” says the former skipper. “We were so disappointed not to make it out of the group, but then we realised that not every team get off the mark with a win at their first World Cup.”
The Esmeraldas-born centre-back appeared again at the 2006 tournament where La Tri advanced further than ever before or since. Carlos Tenorio and Agustin Delgado secured their impressive 2-0 opening triumph over Poland before the CONMEBOL representatives made light work of Costa Rica thanks to strikes from Tenorio, Delgado and Ivan Kaviedes. Ecuador were top of the table heading into their final group bout with hosts Germany, whom they face again at this year’s showpiece.
Looking back, he said: “It was a historic moment. We were a really tight-knit group, with a rock-solid defence, a nice balanced midfield capable of controlling the game, plenty of attacking threat down the flanks and a ruthlessness up top. We had an almost perfect tournament.” He also underscored that the Germans had “a fantastic side”, full of “seasoned icons – real giants of the game”, including Per Mertesacker, Philipp Lahm, Michael Ballack, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose.
With Ecuador already assured of a place in the round of 16, coach Hernan Dario Gomez decided to rest some of his mainstays. Germany took full advantage, with Klose at the double and Podolski adding a third. Hurtado recalled: “Klose was such a top-quality striker and deadly in the box. You couldn’t give him a sniff, but if we’d been at full strength I don’t think he’d have had that freedom and might not have got both his goals. We may have ended up losing anyway, but I’m sure the game would have played out differently.”
The two nations will meet once more on Thursday, 25 June – again in the . “I hope the lads can get their revenge for that defeat 20 years ago,” said Hurtado. “Football is so great because it gives you those second chances.”
La Tricolor’s odyssey on German soil eventually came to an end against England in the last 16, a trademark David Beckham dead-ball drive halting their run. “Reliving that moment makes me feel so nostalgic, because it was hard to wrap our heads around that defeat,” Hurtado reflected. “These things happen in football. We executed our game plan more or less to perfection. England never got on top of us and never really threatened our box, but we were knocked out simply because they had a player of Beckham’s calibre taking free-kicks. He was the best free-kick taker in the world.
“They had the likes of Wayne Rooney up front, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Beckham in midfield and Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Ashley Cole at the back. They were a brilliant team. But we proved that we were a good side as well and more than a match for them.” It remains their best World Cup performance to date and the only time they have progressed beyond the group stage.
Sebastian Beccacece’s Ecuador kicked off their campaign in North America with a but, ahead of the remaining group fixtures against Curaçao and Germany, Hurtado’s belief and excitement remain intact. “Without wanting to sound overly optimistic, we have strength in depth all over the park, and the squad is packed with talent. The lads have real character and personality: these matches won’t faze them.”
“We have two of the best centre-backs in the world in Piero Hincapie and Willian Pacho who clinched their respective top-tier titles [in England and France with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain] and featured in the [UEFA] Champions League final. The defence is watertight and was breached just five times in qualifying. We’ve got young Moisas Caicedo in spectacular form, Hernan Galindez between the sticks, Pervis Estupinan, Angelo Preciado, Joel Ordonez, Gonzalo Plata, Pedro Vite and Enner Valencia – our icon, captain, legend and all-time top scorer. And then there are those vying for a place in the line-up who are also going to make a big contribution,” Hurtado argued.
The 51-year-old colossus of the Ecuadorian game remains upbeat about their prospects, despite the team’s stumbling start. He affirmed: “We’re excited because they’ve inspired us to dream big and the whole nation is right behind them, rallying them on and full of faith. We hope they’ll give us something to cheer. They have the chance to make history.”
Sources: FIFA Official
