They will see you come back, Ecuador

According to statistics, 30% of the Ecuadorian squad will have up to three World Cups to take revenge. More glued for the twenties than for the twenty-five, the Ecuadorians leave the World Cup after having beaten Qatar, the host country; having drawn level with the Netherlands, the group leader, and having matched Senegal who, without Sadio Mané, is a walking danger. They always competed.

The first South American from Qatar 2022 is leaving, and we, who see it on a screen, thousands of kilometers away, cannot be indifferent, even if we want to. Along with Chile, Ecuador is our fiercest opponent. Every time we play against them, an atavistic rivalry ignites. But now that the ‘Tri’ suffers after having punctured their hopes of qualifying for the round of 16 for the second time in their history, perhaps a kind of solidarity has flared up, mixed with respect and, why not, admiration.

The Ecuadorians had a spectacular Qualifier. Only the courts came close to removing them from Qatar 2022. In recent months, the only thing that was said about the northerners was Byron Castillo, the Colombian who played for Ecuador. And he lost sight of everyone else. The scandal captured the attention, and made us forget that they were a team that had done all the necessary merits to play in the World Cup.

We forget about Gustavo Alfaro and his group management in the most difficult hours (but also his reading of the game); Moisés Caicedo, that 21-year-old boy who eats up the midfield with his innocent face; to Gonzalo Plata who, although he does one too many, unbalances and that is pure gold; and Enner Valencia himself, a scorer of scorers who couldn’t shine today due to a cursed injury.

Ecuador is leaving. Those who do not stop to applaud, take out the notebook and at least make some notes. We have a lot to learn from this team that we will face in a few months. Power, delivery, remove, touch and ease. In four years they will be stronger. They will see you come back, Ecuador. Let it be with us.