|
Tuesday June 25th - 2:00PM | ||
ECUADOR |
vs | FRANCE | |
| FIFA RANKING 28 | FIFA RANKING 16 | ||
 |
 |
||
| HOW THEY QUALIFIED |
|||
| ECUADOR Ecuador were plagued by inconsistency during their qualifying campaign. While La Tricolorwent undefeated at home, beating every opponent in Quito except Argentina, with whom they drew, the side was unable to reproduce that form on the road, failing to win at all and drawing just three times. Nevertheless, one such stalemate – against Uruguay in Montevideo – proved decisive as Ecuador finished level on points with La Celeste but grabbed the last automatic qualifying spot thanks to their superior goal difference (four compared to Uruguay’s zero). With a team that was among the top four in the standings on 14 of the 16 matchdays and that had to overcome the tragic death of Cristian Benitez, coach Reinaldo Rueda became the third Colombian to guide Ecuador to FIFA World Cup qualification. FRANCE Drawn into a group that contained not only world and European champions Spain but just five teams overall, France had precious little margin for error when their campaign kicked off. In the end, they made just one slip, losing at home to La Roja, but it was a defeat that cost them first place in the section. Didier Deschamps' side rarely sparkled during the group phase except for a fine performance on Spanish soil, where their efforts were finally rewarded with a last-gasp equaliser in a 1-1 draw. Ultimately they were destined for the play-offs, as they had been ahead of South Africa 2010, and their chances of reaching Brazil took a battering in Kiev, where Ukraine's superior desire and team spirit earned them a 2-0 advantage at the halfway stage in the tie. That left Les Bleus requiring a display of perfection in the second leg, but, with the Stade de France crowd in feverish mood, the 1998 FIFA World Cup™ winners turned things around with a 3-0 win that could prove a turning point for a side containing a number of exciting fresh talents. Mamadou Sakho, Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba are the standard-bearers of the new generation, while the gifted youngsters who led France to FIFA U-20 World Cup glory in 2013 stand waiting in the wings. |
|||
RECENT RESULTS |
|||
| ECUADOR | FRANCE | ||
| 20/06/14 - HONDURAS 1-2 ECUADOR 15/06/14 - SWITZERLAND 2-1 ECUADOR 11/10/13 - ECUADOR 1-0 URUGUAY |
20/06/14 - SWITZERLAND 2-5 FRANCE 15/06/14 - FRANCE 3-0 HONDURAS 19/11/13 - FRANCE 3-0 UKRAINE |
||
| PLAYERS TO WATCH | |||
| ECUADOR Wingers Antonio Valencia and Christian Noboa, as well as forwards Felipe Caicedo and Jefferson Montero, represent an exciting new wave for Ecuadorian football, but they are also ably assisted by a handful of evergreen stalwarts with European experience, such as Edison Mendez, Walter Ayovi and Segundo Castillo. |
|||
| FRANCE France boast solidity and strength in depth at the back, with a pair of top-drawer goalkeepers in Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda and a rearguard bolstered by the European experience of Eric Abidal, Laurent Koscielny and Raphael Varane. Further forward, Franck Ribery can produce moments of magic, while Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud both possess a keen eye for goal. |
|||
|
BACK TO MATCH CALENDAR > | ||
_sm.jpg)