Ecuador achieved something this June that no other women’s team in the nation’s history has achieved and that was to appear at a World Cup. La Tricolar were drawn in what some would argue as a decent group, however it proved far from it as Ecuador suffered huge defeats in all three of their group games, thus failing to advance to the knockout rounds. However performances did improve after the 6-0 defeat to Cameroon, they were hammered 10-1 by Switzerland (although they played fairly well for most of the game). Their final game was against the 2011 champions Japan and with Ecuador already being eliminated they had nothing to lose, only a lucky goal after 5 minutes saw the South Americans lose the game by the finest margins. Against Japan, Ecuador played really well and at the very least deserved a draw if not all 3 points. Despite all 3 group defeats and statistically being the worst team at the tournament (-16 GD, 0pts), there are still plenty of positives to take from the tournament with a number of players putting in a fantastic showing as well as scoring their first ever World Cup goal. Firstly the manager Vanessa Arauz (youngest in World Cup history) deserves huge credit for not only qualifying la Tricolar for the tournament but for the togetherness of the team and the fighting spirit they showed during all 3 games. As well as the team performance there was a number of standout players who showed plenty of potential and look to have a great future in the industry. These standout players included goalkeeper Shirley Berruz who pulled off a number of outstanding saves including one which was in contention for save of the tournament. Another standout star was Angie Ponce who impressed me with her determination and set-piece ability, despite scoring 2 own goals in Canada. She also has the honour of scoring Ecuador’s only goal of the World Cup. Despite only scoring one goal Ecuador’s attack impressed me with Monica Quinteros’ hold up play and strength up top. It was thanks to Quinteros in the first place that la Tricolor made it to Canada and she justified her selection. Also up top was Denise Pesantes who has a reputation for being quite creative, despite it being limited during the tournament. Pesantes did nearly score what would’ve been up there for goal of the tournament against Switzerland after her long range effort agonisingly hit the crossbar and bounced away. Overall there were plenty of positives for Ecuador and lots to build on as they attempt to qualify for France in 2019. However there are more pressing matters ahead with the Pan-American games taking place in Canada in July, so la Tricolor will be looking to put into place what they’ve learnt from their tournament experience.
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