Mondiale U17 Brasile 2019 - ECUADOR

Ecuador

Will be taking part in their fifth World Cup

Key figures: #10 Johan Mina (forward), #17 John Mercado (midfielder)

Ecuador’s qualification bordered on the miraculous, requiring as it did four goals in the last 33 minutes of their final game. That achievement owed much to their never-say-die attitude and the finishing skills of tournament top scorer Johan Mina (six goals).

That high-scoring victory (4-1) over Argentina summed up the rollercoaster ride Javier Rodriguez’s side endured in Peru, where explosive attacking play went hand in hand with the defensive frailties that made them the most scored-against team (13) at the tournament.

Alongside Argentina, they are the only other South American side who will compete at both the FIFA U-20 and U-17 World Cups this year.


**FIFA U-17 World Cup record**

Ecuador will be competing at their fifth World Cup in this category, having first graced the tournament back in 1987. However, it is the 1995 edition on home soil and the 2015 staging in Chile that hold fondest memories. On both occasions La Tri got as far as the quarter-finals before losing out to Argentina and Mexico respectively.

**The road to Brazil**

Ecuador certainly kept the best until last at the South American U-17 Championship, where they signed off with a 4-1 victory over champions Argentina. That win came courtesy of a four-goal blitz in the final 33 minutes which secured their passage to Brazil. Two wins, one draw and one defeat were enough to progress to the hexagonal final phase, where wayward finishing left them with just two points and needing a miracle going into their final game against La Albiceleste.

**The coach** -- Javier Rodriguez

In Ecuador, he is considered *the* foremost youth coach, and not without good reason: he has taken three national team to U-17 World Cups (Mexico 2011, Chile 2015 and Brazil 2019) and one to the U-20 equivalent (Korea Republic 2017). He has also worked with the country’s U-13 and U-15 sides. Rodriguez began his coaching career at Emelec back in 1995.

Did you know …?

• Forward Johan Mina was the top scorer in qualifying with six goals.
• Coach Javier Rodriguez curiously promised to travel back to Guayaquil from Lima by bus (and not by plane like the rest of the squad) if his side qualified. He proved a man of his word and gamely endured the 24-hour journey.

Group B

Nickname:

#LaTri/La Mini Tri

Confederation:

#CONMEBOL

South America

Appearances:

5 Out of 18

Qualification:

2019 South American Under 17 Championships 4th Place

Best Finish:

Quarterfinals (2X)

CONVOCATI:

3 Arqueros: 

1 Joan López (Independiente del Valle) 

12 Gilmar Napa (Orense FC) 

21 Elías Valencia (Universidad Católica)

7 Defensas: 

13 Edwin Rodríguez (Aucas) 

2 Jordan Morán (Liga de Quito) 

4 Hanssel Delgado (Independiente del Valle) 

3 Piero Hincapié (Independiente del Valle) 

20 Derihan Rivera (Liga de Portoviejo) 

18 Jhoanner Chávez (Independiente del Valle) 

6 Roberto Cabezas (Independiente del Valle)

8 Mediocampistas: 

14 Erick Pluas (Orense FC) 

15 Patrickson Delgado (Independiente del Valle) 

5 Marco Angulo (Independiente del Valle) 

16 Kléver Vera (Delfín SC) 

7 Jeremy Farfán (Macará) 

17 John Mercado (Panamá FC) 

19 Pedro Vite (Independiente del Valle) 

8 Silvano Estacio (Emelec)

3 Delanteros: 

10 Johan Mina (Emelec) 

9 Edwin Valencia (Barcelona SC) 

11 Adrián Mejía (Independiente del Valle)