Ecuador set to be Copa America’s dark horse?
By John Hazzard
Following a 1-0 defeat to the USA in a warm-up friendly on Wednesday night, it became clear that South American country, Ecuador, would be this year’s Copa America Centenario dark horse.
A dark horse is defined as someone who is known little by the crowd but overcomes tremendous adversity to claim victory. So why is Ecuador highlighted as this year’s dark horse?
First, fans should look at the country’s 23-man roster. Released on their twitter account, Ecuador’s roster encompasses some of the most underrated soccer players in the world.
Premier League favorites such as Jefferson Montero (Swansea City), Enner Valencia (West Ham), and Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) have all been added to the roster. However, all three of these players weren’t regarded as some of the league’s best players this year.
Due to Swansea’s disastrous start and their firing of Garry Monk in order to hire Francesco Guidolin, 26-year-old winger Jefferson Montero was relegated to a squad role within the team. Montero’s season consisted of 23 total Premier League appearances, many as a substitute. When compared to the previous season, Montero played seven less matches this season. In addition, the 26-year-old was unable to score this year.
Disappointingly, the changes that went on in Swansea this season affected Montero greatly. On his good day, Montero displays speed and tenacity that is rare to find in any other Premier League player. His ability to play on both ends and frustrate the opposition is something coveted by many coaches.
If Ecuador is able to bring out the young spirited Jefferson Montero, they may be a force to reckon with on the wings this summer.
On the defensive side, Ecuador is led by long-time Manchester United winger/defender Antonio Valencia. The 30-year-old has been a pivotal part of The Red Devils since joining in 2009. However, due to the chaos United has been in since the arrival of Louis van Gaal, Valencia’s form has been hidden. In addition, with signings such as Luke Shaw, Memphis Depay, and Matteo Darmian, the Ecuadorian has been banished at the club level. Following an impressive 2014/15 campaign, where Valencia appeared in 32 league matches, the 30-year-old only appeared 14 times for van Gaal’s side this year.
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Although United haven’t given Valencia much of a chance this year, Ecuador will be more than eager to provide the defender with the stardom he deserves. The Lago Agrio native brings pace and skill to the back line, something unheard of when discussing a backline.
If Ecuador’s coach Gustavo Quinteros is able to bring back the life of Antonio Valencia, La Tri may look to attack starting from the defense.
Furthermore, West Ham United striker Enner Valencia looks to impress this summer following a poor season in the Premier League. Due to a persistent ankle injury, Valencia was only able to appear in 19 league matches, scoring only four goals. His underwhelming season was overshadowed tremendously by the resurgence of English striker Andy Carroll, who made a total of 27 league appearances, scoring an impressive nine goals.
With Valencia gearing up to be fully fit for this summer’s tournament, the fast paced striker will look to show West Ham why they chose him in the first place. If Ecuador is able to rebuild the striker’s confidence again, the 26-year-old will easily be able to bang in the goals, providing a consistent goal scorer for the La Tricolor.
In addition to Ecuador’s Premier League players being undervalued, many more of their players are considered underdogs.
Watford defender Juan Carlos Pardes appeared 17 times for his newly promoted team this season, helping the Hornets finish thirteenth in the Premier League. Furthermore, Liga MX stars Michael Arroyo (Club America) and Fidel Martinez (Pumas UNAM) look to dazzle opposition with their pace and skill that they’ve shown throughout Mexico this season.
FC Rostov midfielder Christian Noboa helped his side nearly become the Russian League’s Leicester City, eventually losing the title last second to CSKA Moscow.
Also, FC Dallas midfielder Carlos Gruezo has played a pivotal part in Oscar Pareja’s young Dallas team, who currently is holding on to the second spot in the West.
With most of Ecuador’s Copa American Centenario roster being undervalued and undermined, it is clear to admit that they are a shout for this summer’s dark horse.
Furthermore, in their last five international games, Ecuador has provided a case for them to be a dark horse as well. In their last two matches against the United States and Colombia, the La Tri had suffered defeats. They lost largely to Colombia 3-1 in March during a World Cup qualifier and narrowly against the USA on Wednesday 1-0, due to a 90′ minute goal from Darlington Nagbe.
Although they lost their previous matches leading up to the tournament, Ecuador was able to grab impressive results in the matches leading up to their lost against Colombia. Ecuador drew 2-2 against Paraguay, won 3-1 against Venezuela and won 2-1 against Uruguay. These results help shine the light on how impressive this Ecuador team really is.
If Ecuador is able to defeat some of the tournament’s hardest teams, they can easily scrape past the clubs within group B. Group B consists of heavyweights Brazil and minor teams Haiti and Peru. Ecuador will easily be able to grab three points against Haiti and Peru, however, the match against Brazil will prove to be their biggest test.
If Ecuador is able to grab wins against the lower teams, they can easily propel themselves into the knockout stage of the tournament. Once in the knockout round, Ecuador can truly show that they are this summer’s Copa America Centenario dark horse.
Here is Ecuador’s roster in full:
Goalkeepers: Maximo Banguera, Alexnader Dominguez, Esteban Dreer
Defenders: Gabriel Achiller, Robert Arboldea, Walter Ayovia, Frickson Erazo, Arturo Mina, Juan Carlos Paredes, Cristian Ramirez
Midfielders: Michael Arroyo, Fernando Gaibor, Carlos Gruezo, Pedro Larrea, Fidel Martinez, Angel Mena, Jefferson Montero, Chirstian Noboa, Antonio Valencia
Forwards: Jamie Ayovi, Miller Bolanos, Juan Cazares, Enner Valencia