Qualifying for Qatar 2022 in games with Brazil and Peru, ‘illusion’ of soccer players from Ecuador

Soccer players from the Ecuadorian team are “excited” about the possibility of qualifying for the 2022 Qatar World Cup in the next double round of the qualifiers. However, they recognize that they will have in Brazil a team “classified and one of the best in the world” and in Peru a rival “tough as always”.

The tricolor team, ranked third in the South American pre-world championship, will face Verdeamarela (1st) on Thursday, January 27 in Quito, while they will visit the cast of Rímac (5th) on Tuesday, February 1 at the Estadio Lima National. With 23 points in the standings after fourteen presentationsMathematically, Ecuador can secure its ticket in the matches of the fifteenth and sixteenth dates (antepenultimate) of the qualifier.

“We hope that on these dates we can achieve the classification,” said Joao Joshimar Rojas, Emelec’s attacker, on Sunday at the Guayaquil airport, at the microphone of Diblú. “We are very close and the illusion is from the whole country”.

Regarding the rivals on duty, the 24-year-old soccer player estimated: “The one, classified (Brazil); the other, hard as always (Peru). But we have made a great tie. We hope this is not the exception.”

Along the same lines as Rojas is his partner in the millionaire club, the lane player Romario Caicedo, who has been called for the first time for official games of the Tri. “They are very, very good rivals. The National Team has also shown that it has a good level. We hope that everything turns out in the best way to enjoy and that the objective is achieved now”.

Caicedo had already been called up by coach Gustavo Alfaro for the March 29, 2021 friendly against Bolivia in Quito, but he remained on the bench.

This is how the 31-year-old player received the news: “It is the second call. The first was the match against Bolivia. I am grateful to God for this opportunity and hope to make the most of it. We hope that it can be used and continue to be in future calls”.

Both Caicedo and Rojas make up an initial list of eleven summoned by Alfaro to begin work this Monday at the National Team, in the capital. They join Pedro Ortiz, Moisés Ramírez, Xavier Arreaga, Byron Castillo, Alan Franco, Fernando León, Diego Palacios, Sebastián Méndez and Djorkaeff Reasco.

“We all have the dream of being in the World Cup,” Franco said.

The Charlotte FC (USA) player considered that “adding the six points would be excellent” against Brazil and Peru; “If not, try to ensure (virtually) the pass to the World Cup.”

“The expectation is always high. Brazil is classified and is one of the best teams in the world. We, to do our job, make our house respected”, declared the 23-year-old midfielder.

After colliding with the Brazilians and Peruvians, the Ecuadorians will visit the field of Paraguay (9th) and will close the tie receiving Argentina, which has already qualified for Qatar. (D)