World Cup Fantasy 2022 team previews: Ecuador

Our World Cup Fantasy team previews continue with a look at Ecuador, one of two Group A sides taking part in the tournament’s opening match.

In these country-by-country guides, we’ll be looking at the best players from each nation, taking a stab at predicted line-ups, reviewing the road to Qatar and more.

To do this, we’ll be calling on the help of correspondents from each nation.

Here, Fantasy Football Scout users Pedro Mancheno (FPLPedro) and Placido Zambrano (FPL Paz) help us profile Gustavo Alfaro’s Tricolor.

All prices given are from the official FIFA World Cup Fantasy game.

THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION

With members of their successful South American under-20 champions from 2019 being eased into the senior squad, Ecuador managed to snatch the continent’s final automatic spot.

An impressive 4-2 win over Uruguay in October 2020 was improved upon a month later when six different scorers forced a 6-1 hammering of Colombia.

Brazil and Argentina were also held to draws by Ecuador on home soil.

If this youthful side can beat Qatar in the tournament’s opening match, they could be dark horses for deep progression.

• Most starts: Pervis Estupinan (17), Carlos Gruezo (16), Moises Caicedo (15)
• Most goals: Michael Estrada (6), Enner Valencia (4)
• Most assists: Moises Caicedo (4), Angel Mena (3)
• Clean sheets: 6 from 18

MATCHES OF 2022

After Brazil and Argentina, Alfaro’s men scored the most goals and conceded the fewest of the other eight nations, with their defence currently on a streak of six consecutive clean sheets from recent friendlies.

However, goals have also dried up at the attacking end of the pitch. Seven of this year’s ten matches have ended as a draw; four were goalless, which can be spun both positively and negatively.

MOST RECENT INTERNATIONAL LINE-UPS

23/09/2022 – Saudi Arabia 0-0 Ecuador

(4-3-3) Dominguez; Preciado, Porozo, Hincapie, Estupinan; Caicedo, Gruezo, Franco; Plata, Valencia, Ibarra

27/09/2022 – Ecuador 0-0 Japan

(4-3-3) Galindez; Castillo, Porozo, Hincapie, Estupinan; Caicedo, Mendez, Cifuentes; Mena, Estrada, Ibarra

12/11/2022 – Ecuador 0-0 Iraq

(4-3-3) Domínguez; Castillo, Torres, Arreaga, Palacios; Méndez, Franco, Cifuentes; Ibarra, Estrada, Mena

(Some players were unavailable in this last friendly due to domestic commitments)

HOW FAR WILL THEY GET?

“Last 16. This Ecuador is a young but strong team and I expect us to comfortably beat Qatar and edge past Senegal.” – Pedro Mancheno

“Last 16 because we have the speed necessary to compete with Senegal and are more physical than Netherlands, so we can get a result in either of those games.” – Placido Zambrano

STRENGTHS

“Ecuador has a lot of young players that are ambitious and physically strong. They are very fast and have great stamina. We are solid at the back and balanced in midfield.” – Pedro Mancheno

“Speed and physicality.” – Placido Zambrano

WEAKNESSES

“Our main weakness is accuracy in front of goal. We waste a lot of good chances and our forwards haven’t managed to achieve consistency.” – Pedro Mancheno

“Inexperience – we had the youngest team in CONMEBOL qualifiers.” – Placido Zambrano

THE KEY FANTASY TARGETS

As the official FIFA World Cup Fantasy game allows mid-Gameweek player switching, Ecuador’s Group A placing will help add to the appeal as their cheap players can quickly be removed if they blank.

It’s for this reason that $4.5m goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez has appeal, considering their strong defence could easily nab an opening clean sheet against Qatar and – if not – just switch him with your other stopper.

Pervis Estupinan ($4.5m) is on many set pieces, although these duties will be shared if Angel Mena ($5.0m) plays. Both Mena and Gonzalo Plata ($4.5m) are listed as cheap midfielders yet could feature in Ecuador’s front three, offering another budget route to early return-or-switch success.

Up front, Enner Valencia ($6.5m) is their priciest player and is on penalty-taking duties, although he has missed his last two spot-kicks on international duty.

Ecuador’s woes from 12 yards continued in November’s friendly with Iraq, when Plata – in the absence of Valencia – saw a tame effort saved.

“Pervis Estupiñan has shown his quality going forward since joining Brighton, although he can often suffer defensively when playing in a back five. For Ecuador, he plays in a back four with much more support from the defensive midfielders and this allows him to move forward more comfortably.

“Felix Torres is an excellent defender who carries decent offensive threat at set pieces. He scored two crucial goals during the qualifiers.

“Moises Caicedo is without doubt the best player in our team. He plays a slightly more advanced role for the national team compared to Brighton. He is technically gifted, can shoot from outside the box and is heavily involved in everything going forward, as shown by his two goals and four assists during the qualifiers.” – Pedro Mancheno

“Enner Valencia is on penalties and is our all-time leading goal scorer, helped by netting three times at the 2014 World Cup.

“Moises Caicedo is a tackling machine; midfielders get an extra point for every three tackles in the FIFA game.

“Pervis Estupinan is on our set pieces and always pushes upfield.” – Placido Zambrano

PREDICTED LINE-UP

Both Pedro and Placido agree on seven of the starting XI but there is still debate over four spots.

Right-back could either be Byron Castillo (who limped off against Iraq) or Angelo Preciado, the third midfielder is either Jhegson Mendez or Alan Franco, while Enner Valencia is the only agreement amongst the front three.

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