Ecuador World Cup Team Preview

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

4 minute read

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CONTENTS

• Ecuador To Win World Cup Odds
• Ecuador Path To Final
• Ecuador Previous World Cup Finishes
• Ecuador World Cup FAQ

Ecuador To Win World Cup Odds

Ecuador will compete in the World Cup for only the fourth time in its history this winter – and soccer betting sites are giving the team an outside chance of impressing in Qatar. Ecuador has only once made it past the group stage of a World Cup, but this year the team has been gifted a golden opportunity to shine.

The reason for that is Ecuador – seeded in Pot 4 for the World Cup – has been drawn in a relatively simple group, alongside Qatar, Netherlands and Senegal.

It means head coach Gustavo Alfaro has been given an opportunity that he must exploit. Granted, Ecuador is highly unlikely to win the World Cup. But progress out of Group A would be seen as a big success back home.

And this Ecuador team has pedigree. Moises Caicedo, Jeremy Sarmiento, Gonzalo Plata and Carlos Gruezo all ply their trade in the European soccer leagues. Captain Enner Valencia is an experienced forward, while Robert Arboleda brings his experience to the defense.

It’s not known exactly how well Ecuador will fare this winter. But what is for sure is this team will be competitive in all three of its group games.

*Team Ecuador has been eliminated from the World Cup 2022. Team Netherlands and Team Senegal advance to the next round. Check out what the odds were for Netherlands and Senegal to win the Group A.

Ecuador Path To Final

Pot Draw

Ecuador was placed in Pot 4 for the World Cup. This means it risked being drawn in a ‘Group of Death’ against much better nations from Pots 1, 2 and 3. Ecuador qualified for the World Cup after finishing fourth in South America’s qualifying table. The team famously tied 1-1 with both Brazil and Argentina on home soil.

Group Stage

Ecuador has been drawn in Group A of the World Cup, alongside Netherlands, Senegal and hosts Qatar. This is the dream draw. Qatar was placed in Pot 1 because it is the host team, and everyone wanted to draw them in the group. The Netherlands is a big force in world soccer but not the most dangerous Pot 2 team. And Senegal was lucky to scrape past Egypt to make the World Cup this winter. Should Ecuador escape Group A, the team will likely play England in the last-16.

Ecuador Previous World Cup Finishes

As we’ve already mentioned, Ecuador is competing in the World Cup for a fourth time. The team finally made it to the World Cup 20 years ago, when the tournament was held in Japan and South Korea. Here’s a timeline of Ecuador’s World Cup progress:

• 2002 – Group stage
• 2006 – Round of 16
• 2014 – Group stage

Ecuador was actually in line to compete in qualifying for the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, but withdrew before qualification got underway. The country had to wait 52 years before it finally saw its team reach the World Cup.

Ecuador World Cup FAQ

Has Ecuador qualified for the World Cup?

Yes. Ecuador is competing in Group A of the World Cup. They will play Netherlands, Senegal and hosts Qatar.

Why Is World Cup In November?

The World Cup is being played in November and December because host nation Qatar cannot stage games in the summer. Temperatures in the Qatari summer reach 122 degrees, so FIFA decided to move the global soccer calendar to accommodate Ecuador.

Can Ecuador win the World Cup?

In all likelihood, no. Ecuador is expected to crash out of the World Cup at either the group stage or the round of 16. Sportsbooks give Ecuador odds of +15000 to win the World Cup, and +600 to win Group A.

Who is Ecuador’s best soccer player at the World Cup?

Ecuador captain Enner Valencia is expected to play at the World Cup and is arguably the country’s best player. Valencia will be 33 at the beginning of the World Cup, and averages a goal every two games for his nation.

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