Saturday, 31 May 2014

Match Preview: England v Ecuador

Who are we playing?
Ecuador

Big game?
Possibly, if you think that playing in Miami on a Wednesday afternoon is good acclimatisation for the Italy game in Manaus. It might well be. At the time of writing, temperatures and humidity levels are roughly the same.

Roy wants to give a couple of players who didn't get a kick against Peru a run out so this won't be his starting line-up for the Italy clash but gives the likes of Owbowlake-Chamberpot a chance to press their claims.

Ecuador will provide stiff opposition, having recently battled to a one-all draw with Holland and will see the game as key to their own preparations. They did go down 3-1 to Mexico but game was more even than the scoreline suggests.

La Tri are heading to the third World Cup in their history. They have an excellent chance of progressing through the group stage having been drawn with France, Switzerland and Honduras.

The stadium
Where are we playing?
Currently known as the Sun Life Stadium

2269 NW 199th Street
Miami Gardens, Florida
United States

It's the home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team, as well as University of Miami Hurricanes. It's also hosts the venue for the Orange Bowl. It was the home to the Florida Marlins baseball team until they moved to their own custom built stadium.

Can I go?
A few tickets left last time we checked ranging from $45 to $80

Adrian
Easy to get to?
It's in Miami. If you've not made your arrangements by now, not easy, no.


Can I watch it on the telly?
You can but with added Adrian Chiles as it's on itv. Lee "Charisma" Dixon will be on hand with the punditry.
Ecuadorian on her dad's side

Any famous Ecuadorians?
Struggling here. Villa fans will be aware of Ulises De la Cruz but he's hardly what you'd call famous. However, it turns out that Beavis and Butthead creator Mike Judge was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador though he was raised in Albuquerque.

Christina Aguilera's dad is Ecuadorian.

Who's playing for us?
Roy will shuffle his pack after the Peru victory, promising starts for Phil Jones and Oxbowlake-Chamberpot.

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Manchester City), Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion)

Oxbowlake-Chamberpot
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United)


Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United)

Who's playing for them?
Jaime AyovĂ­
Goalkeepers: Alexander Dominguez (Liga de Quito), Maximo Banguera (Barcelona), Adrian Bone (El Nacional).

Defenders: Jorge Guagua (Emelec), Gabriel Achilier (Emelec),
Oscar Bagui (Emelec), Juan Carlos Paredes (Barcelona, Ecuador), Frickson Erazo (Flamengo), Walter Ayovi (Pachuca), Christian Ramirez (Fortuna), John Narvaez (Emelec).

Midfielders: Pedro Quinonez (Emelec), Luis Fernando Saritama (Barcelona, Ecuador), Carlos Gruezo (Stuttgart), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Segundo Castillo (Al-Hilal), Christian Noboa (Dynamo Moscow), Renato Ibarra (Vitesse), Edison Mendez (Santa Fe), Oswaldo Minda (Barcelona, Ecuador), Michael Arroyo (Atlante), Fidel Martinez (Tijuana).

Forwards: Armando Wila (Universidad Catolica), Jefferson Montero (Morelia), Jaime Ayovi (Tijuana), Enner Valencia (Pachuca), Joao Rojas (Cruz Azul), Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira), Cristian Penilla (Barcelona, Ecuador), Angel Mena (Emelec).

Any useless stats and info?
Hardly any but here we go:
  • We've only played them twice ever, beating them on both occasions.
  • The first match took place in the Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa in Quito on 24th May 1970. Francis Lee gave England an early lead and brave Brian Kidd made sure of the victory taking a boot in the face as he headed in England's second. The gloss was somewhat taken off the win when news filtered through that Bobby Moore had been arrested in Colombia.
  • The second encounter was in the "Round of 16" at the 2006 World Cup in Stuttgart. England squeezed past by a single David Beckham goal on that occasion. Aston Villa misfit Ulises De la Cruz played for Ecuador.
Prediction:
An narrow Ecuador win, followed by much weeping and gnashing of teeth on Twitter.

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