At 3,600 meters above sea level, the Bolivian national team, sometimes with good teams and sometimes with discreet and even bad teams, achieved historic results against South American powers in the qualifying rounds, the 1963 Copa América championship and their first ticket to the World Cup through the qualification process, when they arrived in the United States in 1994 (the Bolivians competed in 1930 and 1950 by invitation).

On July 23, 1993, Bolivia, led by the Spaniard Xabier Azkargort, suffered the first defeat of Brazil in the history of the qualifying rounds when they won 2:0 in La Paz. FIFA’s website said: “They say records are made to be broken: Bolivia has never qualified for the World Cup on sporting merit, and Brazil, for its part, has never been defeated in a South American qualifying round. Both facts, statistics indisputable, began to break down on July 25, 1993 at the Hernando Siles Stadium in La Paz, where the best Bolivian team in history caused a historic fall from what would become the new champions a year later. world”.

Bolivian goals were Marco Antonio Etcheverry and Álvaro Peña, for the green and golden generation that also included Milton Melgar, Erwin Platinum Sanchez, Ramiro Chocolate Castillo, Julio César Baldivieso, Luis Ramallo, Luis Cristaldo, Marco Sandy and naturalized Argentines Carlos Trucco and Gustavo Quinteros.

‘Cuco’ from Bolivia

At home, Bolivia beat Uruguay (4-1, going to the 2014 World Cup), Paraguay (4-0, qualifying for Qatar 2022) and the most scandalous of all: 6-1 over Argentina (on the way to South Africa 2010 .), which featured Lionel Messi, Carlos Tévez, Ángel di María, Javier Mascherano and other stars led by Diego Armando Maradona.

And although in La Paz, in the qualifiers, Bolivia also lost four times to Chile, three to Argentina and at the World Cup in Qatar 2022 4-0 to Brazil, it was against the Ecuadorian team that those from the Altiplano experienced the greatest shame of disasters.

It happened on October 6, 2001, on the sixteenth date of qualification (penultimate day) for the Japan-South Korea 2002 World Cup. EL UNIVERSO newspaper published a note under this headline: ‘Ecuador scored and can now make reservations for Korea-Japan. Let them prepare the cards.’

5-1 victory

This is reviewed: “Closer to heaven, in the highest city in the world, the Ecuadorian national football team scored an easy 5-1 victory over Bolivia at the Hernando Siles Stadium. It was not a match in Quito’s Atahualpa, but the tricolors played as home. Without trying and under pressure to achieve a historic victory which is their biggest victory in this game.”

The Tricolori opened the scoring after 12 minutes: “If Ecuador had been more on the field, they had to show it with the first goal that came without any major demands.” When taking a free kick, Iván Hurtado shot short to Ulises de la Cruz, who shot powerfully low. The ball entered through the right side of the goal, which is being defended by the young player Carlos Arias.”

“While Bolivia was working on a solution in the individualities of Gonzalo Galindo, Sergio Castillo, Gustavo Andaveris and Líder Paz, it was enough for the Ecuadorian team not to lose its figure on the field. Four men at the back, four in midfield and two in attack allowed us to consolidate a scheme that his rival never deciphered.”

Line-ups and results

Hernán Darío Gómez commissioned this lineup for Ecuador: José Francisco Cevallos; Ulises de la Cruz, Giovanny Espinoza, Iván Hurtado, Raúl Guerrón; Edwin Tenorio (Luis Chinese Gómez, 89 minutes), Alfonso Obregón (Juan Carlos Burbano, 89), Édison Méndez, Cléber Chalá; Jaime Iván Kaviedes (Ángel Fernández, 77), Agustín Delgado.

Those led by Jorge Carlos Habegger were these, for Bolivia: Carlos Arias; Ronald Raldes, Eduardo Jiguchi, Marcelo Carvallo, Luis Reyes; Franz Calustro, Sergio Castillo (Dolye Vaca, 32 minutes), Raúl Justiniano, Gonzalo Galindo; Peace leader, Augusto Andaveris (José Castillo, 46).

The goals were as follows: 0-1, De la Cruz (12 minutes); 0-2, Delgado (22); 0-3, Kaviedes (57); 1-3, Galindo (60); 1-4, Fernández (89); 1-5, Gomez (90).

Never before or since has Ecuador scored as many or more goals as an away team in World Cup qualifying. (D)