In Ecuador, Chile celebrated only once in the qualifiers

During the seven qualifying processes ranging from the one played for the World Cup in France 1998 to the one in Qatar 2022, Ecuador has maintained its unbeaten host status against Chile. That is, since the free-for-all system was launched in the Conmebol area, the Tricolor have never been beaten at home by Red.

It is an unbreakable record that Félix Sánchez’s team will try to preserve this Tuesday when they welcome the Chileans at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado Stadium, as part of the sixth term of the qualifying tournament for the 2026 World Cup, at 6 p.m.: 30.

Before the application of the current format, when a short elimination of only four days was played for each team (in some cases the classifications were decided in only two games, and once in a maximum of eight, at the World Cup in 1994 in the United States of America), and by dividing into groups Ecuador and Chile shared the key three times in a row (on the way to the World Cups in Argentina 1978, Spain 1982 and Mexico 1986. But they also met on the way to England 1966 and Mexico 1970).

Tricolor superiority

Since 1998, ten Conmebol teams have started playing qualifying rounds in doubles. As hosts, the Tricolors beat the Red team in five games and drew twice.

But when the match was in groups, Ecuador, as a local, never managed to dominate Chile. In five away games, the superiority of the reds is manifested in four draws (2-2 against England in 1966, 1-1 against Mexico in 1970 and 1986, in the same country; 0-0 against Spain in 1982).

The only defeat of the national team, at home, against the Chileans, occurred in the qualification tournament of Argentina in 1978, with 1-0 in Guayaquil.

The only defeat

It happened on Sunday, February 27, 1977 in front of 51,153 spectators at the Modelo Stadium. ‘Eliminated again. Ecuador lost to Chile 1-0′, it was the EL UNIVERSA title. The visitors’ goal was due to “a childish mistake by goalkeeper Carlos Delgado in the 33rd minute,” wrote Mauro Velásuez in his book Ecuadorian football and its national team.

For this newspaper, in an edition of 46 years ago, “Chile definitely revealed the technical limitations that Ecuadorian football still has. With an old team, terribly burdened with age (average 30 years), Chile came and dominated the Modelo Stadium to take an important victory.” It was also commented that “playing more defensively and suddenly attacking, Chile succeeded in the few attempts it made (…) the national team was modest, naive and inconsistent.”

Ernesto Guerra was the coach and with this line-up Ecuador fell to Chile: Carlos Delgado; Washington Méndez, Carlos Campoverde, Fausto Carrera, Fausto Klínger; José Tenorio, Juan Carlos Gómez, José Villafuerte; Vinicio Ron, Angel Luis Liciardi, Wilson Nieves. Chile’s goal was scored by Miguel Ángel Gamboa. Ecuador did not arrive in Argentina in 1978, but neither did the Chileans. Peru is placed in Group 3. (D)