Carlos Tenorio: the lack of leadership takes its toll, Ecuador today does not have it

Authorized voice of the Ecuadorian soccer team, the former striker Carlos Tenorio spoke with As Chile on the performance and work of the Red and the Tricolor, which seeks to affirm the way to qualify for its fourth world championship.

Tenorio was a tricolor gunner in the 2002 and 2006 jousts. Currently the Tri is third in the classification and the Demolition Man he is optimistic about coming to Qatar, lands known by the Emerald, a figure of Al-Sadd between 2003 and 2009, who highlighted the present of Chile and questioned the ups and downs of Gustavo Alfaro’s team, a young team that in their opinion “Lacks leadership”, a factor that can be “dangerous” in the final leg of the tie.

What is your view on Chile?

It is a difficult match for both. Chile had been looking for this, to be reunited with the qualifying zone and it has never ceased to be an attractive, complicated and dangerous team. It is a team that plays well and is strong at home beyond having had a couple of stumbles. He played a very good game against Paraguay and I think Chile is going to fight, because it is where it had to be. If they beat Ecuador, I don’t think they will loosen, because what is being played at the moment is the fourth and fifth place.

And what analysis do you make of Ecuador?

It comes showing highs and lows. The teacher (Gustavo Alfaro) does not find a fixed approach yet. I think Venezuela commanded the last game, they played a very good game and had 90 percent of the clearest goal arrivals, but the important thing here is to add. On Tuesday, against Chile, it will be a very difficult game and I don’t think Chile will miss the possibility of closing the year in the qualifying zone.

It is striking to hear it, because despite the great position of Ecuador in the table, it seems that it is not entirely satisfied with the operation or with the process of Gustavo Alfaro. Is that so?

Yes look, Ecuador had a couple of errors regarding the project with the decision of the technical body. It started with Jordi Cruyff, who later left and later It was time to decide in the walk, to the one who came out. There was no time, we had no margin for error. The teacher Alfaro accepted the challenge, is a coach no experience at the selection level, but he is still a knowledgeable football coach. Today, as much as time may not be necessary, I believe that it is enough to propose an operation and give us Ecuadorians a letter of representation. There is a kind of ambiguity regarding the teacher.

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What do you mean by “ambiguity?

Here nobody judges the professional part of anyone because we are human and we are wrong, but we do try to understand that, If Ecuador continues to play in this way, with what it presented to Venezuela, it worries. The game identity is very very weak, with an unknown selection. At this point, whether you qualify or not, you must do so with defined equipment or performance. This ambiguity has a part of Ecuadorians dissatisfied. I go back and repeat: it is not a criticism, because we are not the one to criticize another human being, but we want to see our team qualifying and what happened to us in 2018 cannot happen to us, where we won the first four games and stayed out.

There is a very important renovation of the Ecuadorian campus. There are many young people who are part of the starting eleven today …

Is a very young team, with a great future, but I think at the same time The lack of leadership takes its toll on us. Today it does not. They are young people with experience in their clubs, but the national team is different. You have the responsibility to bring the illusion of an entire country. The media issue on social networks, when the potatoes burn, is harsh.

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What is missing then?

When the summations begin, when the selections that always go to world championships begin to weigh, It is not easy for young players, added to a coach who does not have the language to reach them on the motivational issue, the auction of these qualifying rounds can be dangerous. I think the teacher is lacking to reach the players in that aspect, we are playing a qualification. It is a selection, the player needs those coaches to make you feel what it is to wear the shirt, qualify, win a competition with your country. This type of competition positions you globally.

Is it indifference or are young players still not weighing where they are?

You have to understand that they are different scenarios. If we see 10 or 15 years ago, it was easier to handle the pressure. You had the pressure of the fans who went to the stadium and no one else. Today is that plus the social networks that are incredible. If you start to see The rest of the national teams that are in the transition stage have experienced players who are also leaders. And they are the ones who push. That is not happening in Ecuador. And it’s not as easy as saying: ‘Okay, we were eliminated, the coach goes to his country and we start again’. But for that, we have to wait four more years and we do not know what you may find on the way.

The first leg of Ecuador-Chile showed a fairly low level, without a clear dominator. What do you imagine of the Chile-Ecuador this Tuesday?

Chile has an advantage by being in the qualifying zone. The fans will be committed, even if they don’t beat us, but rest assured that Chile will continue in the qualifying zone. At most, it will drop to fifth place. Chile in its territory is very tough. While it does not have a tall biotype or a great build, it kills you above or below. It has a very large display. Ecuador has to risk its life in Chile and at least rescue a point. Losing creates even more pressure because then you have to go out and beat Brazil, with what that means.

Which players from La Roja would you highlight?

I could name a lot of the team (laughs). Has experienced players like Alexis (Sánchez) or (Eduardo) Vargas and the temperament of (Arturo) Vidal … any team would like to have it. He feels the shirt, he pushes his teammates, if he has to take a yellow to sacrifice himself for the team, he does it … That’s what we envy from other selections! That there are those players that infect you. There is the same (Mauricio) Isla, Gary Medel, Claudio Bravo … You can score five goals against Chile and they will not stop attacking you and they will not give up. That makes them great along with two more teams from South America.

He admires the Red very much …

It has been a selection that he has known how to handle the transition processes. Whenever the seasoned ones are about to leave, you already have the successor. It doesn’t leave you long with a long transition. That is what is complicating Ecuador. In addition, what we were talking about a while ago about leadership: Chile can lose 30 games, but then Arturo Vidal appears and faces the whole world. The same Claudio Bravo, they know how to protect. It is what we lack.

Pressing the exit of Chile will be the key for Ecuador to control the match in Santiago for the qualifying rounds for the Qatar 2022 World Cup

When the fixture of a road to the World Cup appears, how do you visualize the visit to Chile in Ecuador?

The Playoffs are very nice, but not every player understands it. Normally selections such as Ecuador, Bolivia or Peru, they try to take advantage because it is when there are several processes just starting, but that mattress that you add, you must know how to handle it. If Ecuador adds three as a visitor against any team, it is classified for the World Cup. If we beat Chile, we all took to the streets to celebrate qualifying. That’s for sure. If not, it will be very difficult, because we have to host Brazil and Argentina and go out against Paraguay and Ecuador.

Both have a very similar fixture for the end of the Qualifiers, so these three points that will be played in Santiago may have a greater significance. It matches?

We have very similar calendars, but Chile’s weight in South America is much greater than Ecuador’s. Maybe it’s more easy for Chile to mess with a classified team and in quotes with the things that are handled in soccer to an Ecuador that does not have representative players … (D)