The Ecuadorian national team will have its biggest test for the 2026 World Cup this Tuesday with the away friendly match against the Netherlands in Eindhoven, where it will seek to beat this European team for the first time and extend a sixteen-game unbeaten streak.
After drawing 1-1 against Morocco in Madrid on Thursday, the national team coached by Argentine Sebastián Beccacece will play this match with the intention of achieving a victory that will give hope to the South American country, after having made the draw the most repeated result since the arrival of its current coach.
Ecuador boasts undefeated streak
Ecuador has not lost since September 6, 2024 against Brazil (1-0).
Since then they have accumulated six wins and ten draws, with 0-0 as the most recurrent result.
This is because they have become the lowest-scoring defense of the South American teams, but also one of the forwards that has the hardest time scoring goals.
After finishing second in the qualifiers, the match against the Netherlands will be a great thermometer for Ecuador ahead of the World Cup.
They are placed in Group E with Germany, Curaçao and Ivory Coast.
The style Beccacece intends to consolidate with Ecuador is characterized by high intensity, suffocating pressure and ball possession.
Trying to make an offensive and protagonist mentality habitual, with great emphasis on the deployment on the sides trying different combinations.
Thus, the Argentinean seeks to reach the World Cup with the best chances of getting past the round of 16 and sign the best World Cup performance in the history of La Tri.
A Netherlands on a roll and ready to impose its style
However, for this match between Ecuador and the Netherlands, Beccacece will be without Arsenal central defender Piero Hincapie.
He was unable to finish the match against Morocco due to injury.
It will be the third time that the Netherlands and Ecuador have met, with a 1-0 win for the European team.
And a tie that Ecuadorians have fresh in their memories, having played in the group stage of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
For their part, the Netherlands will host Ecuador after coming from behind to beat Norway 2-1 last Friday, with goals from Virgil van Dijk and Tijjani Reijnders.
The orange team will try to consolidate the style already consolidated by its coach, Ronald Koemal, in his second stint at the helm of the national team.
The team prioritizes defensive order, with a compact structure and quick transitions to take advantage of the spaces left by the opponent, once the ball is recovered.
The Dutch team was drawn in Group F of the World Cup, along with Japan, Tunisia and the winner of the play-off between Sweden and Poland.
Probable lineups
Ecuador has not lost since September 6, 2024
QuéOnnda.com
Netherlands: Bart Verbruggen; Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul Van Hecke, Virgil Van Dijk, Micky Van de Ven; Ryan Gravenberch, Tijani Reijnders, Kees Smit; Teun Koopmeiners, Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen. Coach: Ronald Koeman.
Ecuador: Hernán Galíndez; Alan Franco, Joel Ordóñez, Willian Pacho, Pervis Estupiñán; Moisés Caicedo, Pedro Vite, Gonzalo Plata, Alan Minda; John Yeboah and Enner Valencia. Coach: Sebastián Beccacece.
Stadium: Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Time: 20.45 local time (18.45 GMT).
With information from EFE
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