IN these times of lockdown there is a natural tendency to rummage through the past in search of a happy space.
Different countries have been sitting down to watch favourite football moments from history.
In Ecuador they have been reliving games their nation played in the 2006 World Cup, including when David Beckham and England beat them with a free kickCredit: Getty – Contributor
Ecuador, for example, has just finished reliving the memories of their best ever World Cup, 2006 in Germany, where their campaign began with a splendid win over Poland and ended in the second round, courtesy of a David Beckham free kick.
They now have time to look back a little longer, to the game in late 2001 that confirmed their place in their first ever World Cup.
THE MIGHT OF URUGUAY
If the coronavirus had not struck, then on Tuesday March 31, Ecuador would be playing their first home match in the marathon series of South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, and the opponents would be Uruguay.
But between 2002 and 2014, when the same calendar was used each time, Ecuador hosted Uruguay in the penultimate round, the 17th of 18, when everything was tight and places were on the line.
Without a 1-0 win over the Uruguayans late in 2013 – with a goal from England-based Jefferson Montero – Ecuador would not have made it to Brazil 2014.
Four years earlier a dramatic 2-1 defeat ensured that Antonio Valencia and the others did not make it to South Africa.
And the place in that much-loved 2006 tournament was sealed with a dull 0-0 against the Uruguayans.
Ecuador players celebrate qualifying for the 2014 World Cup after defeating UruguayCredit: Reuters
Jefferson Montero is one of Ecuador’s soccer heroesCredit: AP:Associated Press
CRUCIAL MATCH
But there was nothing dull about the clash on November 7, 2001. There could not possibly be anything tedious about that match. Ecuador had never made it to a World Cup before.
All they needed was a draw. They had the advantage of the altitude of Quito, 2,800 metres above sea level, where the unacclimatised visitor struggles for breath.
Going into the match they had 29 points. Nineteen of them had come at home. Just one more would be enough.
But Uruguay were a proud side who had missed out on the previous two World Cups, and were scrambling around for points in the hope of scraping a place in Japan and South Korea.
The force of tradition gave them a boost. Ecuador’s very lack of tradition was now a worry.
In the previous campaign they had given notice of their growing power with a thumping 4-0 win at home to Uruguay.
Television in Ecuador played the tape of that game over and over again. But could they do it when it really mattered?
The first half was a worry. Ecuador were jittery, Uruguay solid and composed. They took the lead from the penalty spot.
‘I WAS THERE’
But the second half, as the effects of altitude kicked in, turned into a siege. I was there, in the stadium in Quito, and for some reason I had been given the accreditation of a photographer.
Ecuador boast a formidable home record in QuitoCredit: AFP
Originally this was a disappointment. I wanted a panoramic view from the stands to take in the sweep of the occasion. But it ended up being a blessing.
Close to the pitch – behind the goal that Ecuador were attacking – the full human aspect of the game was visible.
The nerves of the Ecuadorian strikers, the problems that Uruguay’s right back was suffering and the efforts of his team-mates to boost his confidence – the stakes were higher than the altitude.
UP THE PALACE
One of Ecuador’s main strikers was Ivan Kaviedes. He was gifted but wayward. At just 24 his career had already taken in Italy, Spain, Mexico and Portugal, and he would go on to play a handful of games for Crystal Palace.
On this afternoon he seemed more wayward than gifted. He was trying to do too much, and nothing that he tried was coming off.
A thumping header by Ecuador legend Ivan Kaviedes (right) earned the country its first ever World Cup appearanceCredit: Instagram
I was behind the goal next to an official of the Ecuadorian FA, who was becoming increasingly agitated with the errors of Kaviedes. He had done nothing, we agreed. He had to be taken off.
And then the cross came in from the left, and there to meet it with a bullet header was Ivan Kaviedes, scoring the goal that took Ecuador to their World Cup debut.
I looked at the man in the Ecuadorian FA blazer, and we burst out laughing. There was nothing to say, and everything to celebrate.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
