Venezuela vs. Ecuador 16 Oct 2012

This afternoon at 5pm Ecuador will travel to Venezuela in hopes of a victory to create a significant lead over its rival. With Chile playing Argentina today, and an expected loss for Chile, and an Ecuador victory over Venezuela, Ecuador can create a 7 point lead over the 5th place team in the group.

At the midway point in group qualifying Ecuador is 1 point behind group leader Argentina, tied with rival Colombia, and 4 points in front of fourth place Uruguay. After an impressive showing against Chile, today could be the turning point of the entire qualifying for the team. A victory today with only 7 matches remaing would make Ecuador a favorite to qualify for its first World Cup since 2006.

GO ECUADOR!

Big Week for the "Team"

This is a big week for Deportiva Cuenca futbol.  We have two home games scheduled over the coming week and they are both with teams which are close to us in the standings.  Our home team can find itself moving close to the middle of the team standings with wins at both games.  Our first game is scheduled for 12pm (Noon) this Sunday, Sept. 30, and is with the team currently in 8^th place, El National.  Our second match is just 3 days later, Wednesday, Oct. 3^rd at 1pm with Tecnico Univ. which currently holds 7^th place.  The only thing missing is YOU, so put on a red shirt and come out to enjoy the passion of the game as we cheer Deportiva Cuenca on to victory.  For a great source of gringo info on the game of futbol visit Moca Café  at Edif. Excalibur, address: 22-400 Gran Columbia (info@mocacafebar.com).  The best seating is in the Palco section (covered) and you can contact Thom Golden at thomas.golden@yahoo.com if you have any questions or need assistance obtaining a ticket. If you are interested in sitting in the General Admission section (uncovered) contact Steve Clark at smclark59@gmail.com  if you have any questions or need assistance obtaining a ticket.  Hope to see you there.

Ecuador 1 Uruguay 1

Ecuador took an early lead against Uruguay in Montevideo, but a terrible non-call by the referee in the Uruguay penalty area should have led to a penalty shot by Ecuador allowed Uruguay to tie the game. What should have been a 2-1 win for Ecuador ends in a 1-1 draw, and one-point for each team. Before the game Ecuador would have taken a draw, and gone home happy, but with the non-call it was a little disappointing.

Ecuador is no tied for second place in the group with Colombia after 7 matches with 9 matches remaining. Below is the current standings.

Argentina 14 points
Colombia 13 points
Ecuador 13 points
Uruguay 12 points
Chile 11 points
Venezuela 11 points
Peru 7 points
Bolivia 4 points
Paraguay 4 points

The next set of qualifying matches are October 12 and 16, 2012.

Ecuador vs. Uruguay 11 Sept 2012

Tonight at 6:30pm Ecuador plays its' next World Cup 2014 Qualifying match in Montevideo against a usually strong Uruguay team. Catch the game at Moca Cafe Bar or one of your favorite bars, restaurants, or taxi cabs throughout Cuenca. Go Ecuador!

Ecuador 1 Bolivia 0

Ecuador beat Bolivia 1-0 is the sixth match out of sixteen is the World Cup 2014 qualifying process. While Ecuador won the match on a questionable penalty called in the box in the second half, and played poorly with a lack of a cohesive attack throughout the match, the important thing is the three points earned in a must-win match at home. Ecuador now is tied for second place with Chile, and plays again on Tuesday in Montevideo against a tough Uruguay team who was embarrassed by Columbia in Barrenquilla 4-0 which many consider an upset.

The top four teams qualify for the 2014 World Cup with Brazil exempt from qualifying as the host of World Cup 2014. The fifth place team will enter a playoff with a team from another region to attempt to still qualify for the World Cup. Ecuador must continue to beat the teams ranked below them, but they must find a cohesive attack if they are going to remain in the top four over the next year.

Next Match: Tuesday, September 11 at 6:30pm.

Ecuador vs. Boliva Friday at 4pm

The Ecuador national team continues its' quest to qualify for World Cup 2014 in Brasil this Friday at 4:00pm against Boliva. The game is being played in Quito, and can be seen on the big screen at Moca Cafe Bar, or many other places throughout Cuenca. Wear your Ecuador jersey all day Friday to show your support. This is a must win for Ecuador on the path to Brasil. Go Ecuador.

Here are the current World Rankings for each South American National team.

5. Uruguay
7. Argentina
12. Brazil
14. Chile
17. Ecuador
22. Colombia
29. Paraguay
51. Peru
52. Venezuela
83. Bolivia

* USA is #33

Game Tomorrow

Tomorrow Deportivo Cuenca hosts Deportivo Taxi at 12:00pm at the stadium. Take advantage of the good weather, and the holiday to enjoy the game. Go Cuenca!