Ecuador Greatest All-Time Team
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| Ecuador WC Finals 2002 |
Ecuador has qualified for three FIFA World Cups in 2002, 2006 and 2014. Their best performance came in 2006 when they advanced to the Round of 16, eventually eliminated by England. They are one of two countries in South America not to have won the Copa América, the other being Venezuela. Their best performance in the continental tournament was fourth in 1959 and 1993, both times on home soil.
Team
GK: Jose Cevallos
Jose Cevallos spent most of his career with Barcelona (Ecuador), but his best club moment probably came during his career with LDU Quito when he saved three penalties and led his club to vitcory at the 2008 Copa Libertadoes. He was capped 89 times and went to the World Cup Finals in 2002, where he was a star player for Ecuador.
GK: Pablo Ansaldo
He is one of the greatest goalkeeper in Ecuador's history. He was capped 23 times. He played for Barcelona(Ecuador) from 1954 to 1966. He then spent a single season with Manta Sport. He was capped 23 times. He was seriously injured in a World Cup Qualifier for the Finals in 1966.
GK: Alfredo Bonnard
Born in Guayaquil, 1931, Alfredo Bonnard first represented Ecuador in 1953 in a match against Peru. He was capped 20 times. He was selected as the best keeper at the 1953 South American Championship followed by Adolfo Riquelme from Paraguay He also played in 1955, 1957 and 1959.
RB: Ulises De L Cruz
Ulises De L Cruz played 101 times for Ecuador between and 1995 and 2010, and was selected for two World Cup tournaments(2006 and 2010). He spent his club career at Deportivo Quito, Barcelona SC, Aucas, Cruzeiro, Hibernian, Aston Villa, Reading and Birmingham City.
CB: Ivan Hurtado
At the time of writing, Ivan Hurtado is Ecuador's all-time cap record holder. He is also the most capped South American player and sixth in the world. He had 168 caps between 1992 and 2014. He was once the captain of the national team. He was a key player for both World Cup Finals in 2002 and 2006. For his club career, he had played for clubs in Ecuador, Mexico, Spain and Colombia. He started his career with Emelec.
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| Ivan Hurtado |
Vicente Lecaro was a star player with Barcelona(Ecuador) in the 1960's. He was voted as one of their greatest players. He played 14 seasons for the club between 1957 and 1971. With them, Lecaro was champion of Guayaquil in the years 1961, 1963, 1965 and 1967; while in 1960, 1963, 1966, and 1970 he was national champion. He never played outside Ecuador.
CB: Holger Quinonez
Holger Quinonez was capped 50 times for Ecuador between 1984 and 1999. He represented the country in five Copa América tournaments. He featured in seven FIFA World Cup qualification matches. He was voted once as the best centre back in South America. He played with for Barcelona Sporting Club (Ecuador), Brazil's CR Vasco da Gama, Club Sport Emelec, C.F. União in Portugal, Deportivo Pereira from Colombia and Deportivo Quito.
CB: Giovanny Espinoza
His nickname is La Sombra, which translates as "the shadow", because of his size, he creates large shadows. He earned over 90 caps and attended both 2002 and 2006 World Cup Finals. He was known for his partnership with Ivan Hurtado. They played 67 times as partner, a world record. He started his career with LDU Quito. He also played in Holland, England and Brazil.
DF: Luciano Macías
Luciano Macías made his debut in 1953. He served as the captain of Barcelona (Ecuador) from 1961 to 1971. He also had a brief career with Emelec (Ecuador), Español de Zulia (Venezuela) and Miami Gatos(USA). He retired in 1973. He was capped 23 times by the national team of Ecuador. He played 3 Copa Americas Cups and 3 World Cup Qualifiers
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| Luciano Macías (L) and Alberto Spencer (R) |
He began his career in Patria De Esmeraldas in 1978. He also played for Barcelona SC, Emelec, Patria de Guayaquil, Milagro Sport, Filanbanco, LDU Quito, Cerro Porteño of Paraguay and Racing Club of Argentina under Alfio Basile. Capurro won two Ecuadorian league titles, in 1994 with Emelec and in 1997 with Barcelona SC. He had 100 caps between 1985 and 2003.
LB: Neicer Reasco
Reasco began his professional club career playing for L.D.U. Quito for seven years. After the 2006 World Cup, he joined São Paulo in Brazil for a two-year contract, the only non-Brazilian on the team. In mid-2008, he rejoined his first club. He competed at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He was named as part of Ecuador's squad for the 2007 and 2011 Copa América.
DM: Segundo Castillo
Castillo started his career with Quito's Club Deportivo Espoli. He then moved across the capital to one of Ecuador's most successful sides Club Deportivo El Nacional. In 2006, he moved abroad, joining Red Star Belgrade. In 2008 Castillo joined English Premier League club Everton on a year-long loan deal. He also played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Pachuca, etc.
DM: Alfonso Obregon
Alfonso Obregon spent most of his career with LDU Quito, where he won 5 Serie A titles and the 2008 Copa Libertadores. He also played for Espoli and Delfin. He was capped 58 times between 1995 and 2004. He made his debut against Bolivia in 1995. He participated in the 2002 World Cup Finals in Japan/Korea. He played in Copa America of 2001 and 2004.
AM/RW: Édison Méndez
He is the second-most capped player for his country. He had 111 caps. Méndez began his career with Sociedad Deportivo Quito of his native Ecuador. After the World Cup Finals in 2002, he moved aboard. He played in Mexico and Brazil as well as PSV in Holland. In March 2007, he became the first Ecuadorian to score in the UEFA Champions League by getting the only goal in the round of 16 match against Arsenal.
AM/CM: José Villafuerte
Villafuerte spent almost his entire career with El Nacional through the 1970s and 1980s, winning 7 championships in 10 years. At the end of his career, he played for CD Filanbanco. During this period, he was also a key player for Ecuador, though the national side saw little success during in World Cup qualifiers and the Copa America this period.
AM: Alex Aguinaga
Alex Aguinaga is considered one of the greatest players ever from Ecuador. He was at one point the all-time cap record holder for his country, helping them to qualify for the World Cup Finals in 2002. He first made his name with Deportivo Quito at home before moving to Mexico's Necaxa in 1989. He would spent 13 years with the club, becoming one of the best players in the Mexican league.
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| Alex Aguinaga |
He played 20 times for Ecuador between 1966 and 1983. He played for LDU Quito. He was the all-time top goalscorer in the Copa Libertadores tournament for LDU Quito with 12 goals, until surpassed by Patricio Urrutia. In 1968, he moved to Penarol , but moved to River Plate of Uruguay in 1970.
RW/FW: Washington Munoz
Nicknamed El Chanfle, he was the greatest right-wing shot in the history of Ecuadorian football and without a doubt one of the best in South America. He was a star for Barcelona (Ecuador) in the 1960's. He won 4 league titles between 1962 and 1977. He is the top scorer in the history of the Barcelona Sporting Club of Ecuador with 101 official goals.
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| Washington Munoz |
Antonio Valencia is probably the most successful Ecuadorean player ever played in Europe. He first made his name with El Nacional at home before moving to Europe. He first played in Spain and then, found success with Wigan in England. In 2009, he secured a big move to Manchester United and voted into the PFA team of the year for the season 2009-2010.
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| Antonio Valencia |
Estupiñán began playing football for Club Social y Deportivo Macará and made his Ecuadorian Serie A debut at age 17. He would also play for Club Deportivo El Nacional and Club Sport Emelec in Ecuador's top division. He played several seasons in the Primera División de México with Deportivo Toluca F.C., Club América, Atlético Campesinos and Puebla F.C., winning the league with Toluca in 1974–75 and with Puebla in 1982–83.
FW: Jorge Bolanos
Jorge Bolanos was widely considered the second best Ecuadorian player everafter Alberto Spencer. He spent most of his career with Emelec. He spent a year on loan with River Plate in Argentina, but playing in the minor league. He also played for America Quito, Barcelona of Guayaquil and Miami Gatos in the USA. He was capped 22 times, making his debut against Argentina in 1960.
ST: Agustín Delgado
Delgado is the all-time top scorer for the Ecuadorian national team with 31 goals in 71 games. He played in both 2002 and 2006 World Cup Finals. Delgado's first goal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup was also the first goal for the Ecuadorian team in a World Cup. He played professional club football in Ecuador, Mexico and England for club such as Necaxa and Southampton. His career in Ecuador was largely associated with Barcelona.
ST: Alberto Spencer
Alberto Spencer was known as "Cabeza Mágica" (Spanish for magic head). He is still the all-time leading scorer in the Copa Libertadores' history. He is considered one of South America's greatest strikers. He won three Libertadores Cups and two Intercontinental Cups with Uruguay's Penarol. He was elected the 20th best South American footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the IFFHS in 2004. He also played for Everest and Barcelona at home.
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| Alberto Spencer |
Kléber Fajardo, Walter Ayoví, José Balseca, Carlos Torres Garcés, Enrique Raymondi, Ermen Benítez
Squad Explanation
-- I have limited information on Alfredo Bonnard
-- I selected Luis Capurro and Neicer Reasco over Walter Ayoví who has over 100 caps.
-- I need a defensive midfielder. So Segundo Castillo was selected over more offensive-minded players.
-- Espinoza and Hurtado together hold the international record for the longest unbroken pairing in the position of centre half – they have played the last 65 games together, dating back to 1999.
-- El Nacional dominated domestic football in the 1970's. I selected José Villafuerte from that era onto this team. Ermine Benítez also made honourable mention.
-- Jorge Bolanos is sometimes listed among the greatest players from Ecuador.
-- Antonio Valencia has a successful career in the Premiership. Manchester United is probably the biggest club that Ecuadorian footballers had ever played for in the Champions' league era.
-- Alberto Spencer is considered to be the greatest footballer from Ecuador.
Formation
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